Of Strings and Cables
by Queen Ferret
Summary: Picks up where the show left off - After weeks of not speaking Rory finds herself compelled to get in contact with Logan. Can they rebuild their broken relationship?
1. Chapter 1

_"Hello, you've reached Logan Huntzberger. Leave a message, your contact details and I'll get back to you ASAP."_

The voicemail greeting had changed since she had last heard it. It was shorter and more professional, it lacked personality, except for the last part. He hadn't spelled out the letters A.S.A.P; he said them as a word, an acronym, ASAP.

BEEP!

"Hi, Logan, it's me…Rory. Umm… I'm not really sure why I'm calling you. It's not like we've spoken since…" Rory hesitated about bringing _that_ day up, she has spent weeks building up the courage to do this, and now that she was actually communicating with Logan, she had no idea what to say. Truth be told, she was thankful she got his voicemail; she wasn't ready to speak to him for real. She took a deep breath and decided that she might as well keep going since she had finally called Logan. Hanging up after just a few words was not an option.

"Well, you know the last time we spoke. Funny thing since you were there. This is weird, isn't it? Well, it is for me, anyway. I've gone from seeing or speaking or even texting you every day to nothing. I'm not used to nothing. There was nearly always something between us. That wasn't just me, was it? Because I think there was a definite vibe from the start, maybe not the start, start, but pretty close to it." Rory remembered the first time that she had wanted Logan to kiss her. It had been at the first Life and Death Brigade event that he had taken her to. It was the first time that she had actually taken the time to get to know him. She remembered being surprised that there was more to Logan than good looks, charm and a truckload of cash. She could still recall the feel of her hand in his. Despite the fact that they were standing seven stories above the ground, she had felt safe with him. She was enveloped by an instant sense of trust that made her feel and believe he wouldn't let anything bad happen to her. Rory remembered when they were about to jump, out of fear she had tightened her hold on his hand, and he had squeezed her hand back. That one small gesture was incredibly reassuring. When they hit the ground and were in one piece, Rory couldn't help but admire Logan. He looked so _alive_ and just for a moment he had shared that feeling with her. Rory's only regret about that day was that she had not been brave enough to kiss him.

"I feel like I need one of those chamber thingies that divers use, you know… so that they can acclimatize to being on the surface again. I feel like I've been swimming under water with you for a really long time and I now have to learn how to breathe again on my own." Rory paused again; she didn't know what else to say. She felt there was so much left unsaid between them. She had been rehearsing what she would say for days. But now that she had an opportunity to actually say something, she could not say anything, she was lost for words.

"Oh! Hey, I got a job." Try as she might, Rory couldn't keep the smile out of her voice. This was something that she was so proud of, and she knew that no matter how angry Logan was with her, that this was something that he would be proud to know of.

"Hugo offered me a job after one of his reporters had to pull out at the last minute. I'm part of the press corps that is following Barack Obama in his quest for the nomination in the presidential primaries." She laughed, she couldn't help it – the memory of her first day on the job always made her laugh. "I was so nervous my first day that I almost threw up. In fact, I have a constant feeling of nausea. I keep waiting for Hugo to call and say that hiring me was a mistake, and that I'm just not cut out for this. So, I… ah… hope that you are settling in at Palo Alto." Rory didn't know what else to say, she wasn't even sure if Logan even wanted to hear from her. She knew she needed to end this call. The weather was sure to be the next topic that she would talk about, but what else can she say to the one man who asked her to marry him. "Well, I'd better go… it's getting late. Bye."

Rory sat cross-legged on her motel room bed. The multi-colored comforter was pulled back, leaving her nestled in a sea of white, strange smelling sheets. Rory had come to discover that for some reason all motels, no matter how clean, all smelled the same. It was a strange musty smell mixed with Pine-Sol and fast food. She was getting used to the smell, but it was far from comforting. She was alone in the room; her only company was the whirl of the ancient air-conditioner. Her roommate, Kelly, was out with a group of other reporters, having drinks at a bar just down the road.

She had started her night out with the girls. Being her mother's daughter there was no way that she could pass up on the opportunity of going to a bar called "Ride 'em Cowgirl." The bar happily announced its name to the world with a bright pink neon-sign of a girl riding a bucking bull.

The bar's key selling feature was the staff – all of whom were well-built, tanned men dressed in faded Levis, cowboy boots, ten-gallon hats and nothing else. As appealing as the scenery was, Rory lost interest very quickly and left early, but not until after buying an array of souvenirs, including a set of shot glasses carrying the slogan "Milk the Bull." First chance she got, her Mom was going to get a present in the mail.

Rory dropped her phone and fell back on the bed. She pulled a pillow over her face and let out a scream of frustration. As she lay there with the pillow on her face, the reality of her actions sunk in. Rory had just called her ex-boyfriend whom she had not spoken to since turning down his proposal and had left him a pitiful voice message. She couldn't let that message be the last thing that she ever said to Logan. He deserved more than a rambling message.

Rory groped around aimlessly for the phone, still covered by the down pillow. In frustration she threw the pillow across the room, sat up and found the phone tangled in the sheets by her leg.

She quickly re-dialed Logan's number. Her heart was pounding in fear that this time she wouldn't be so lucky as to get Logan's voicemail, that this time he may actually answer the phone.

_"Hello, you've reached Logan Huntzberger. Leave a message, your contact details and I'll get back to you ASAP."_

Rory let out a sigh of relief at the sound of Logan's voicemail greeting.

BEEP!

"Hi, Logan, it's me again. You know how they say that you learn something new every day? Well, it's true. I'll tell you what new thing I learned today. I learned that I am one of those girls… one of those pathetic girls who call their ex-boyfriends and then, leave insane messages." Rory started to cry, attempting to keep the tears from falling.

"I shouldn't really be surprised since my Mom did it to Luke. And Luke being Luke came rushing over to make sure that she was okay. But, you can't come rushing over because you have no idea where I am, let alone the fact that we aren't even in the same state. I know it's wrong of me to think this, but why is it the one time I want you to come and whisk me off my feet, that I don't think that you're going to come whisking?" Rory started to completely lose it now. She was crying full on and didn't have enough left in her to care if Logan heard her cry.

"I know that I'm not being fair. In fact, I'll stop being unfair to you now. I promise no more random, hysterical messages. This is the last that you will hear from me. I hope that you find happiness one day. I really do, you deserve it." Rory ended the call. She reached behind for the box of cheap scratchy tissues that sat on the nightstand. She blew her nose and was grateful that there was a lot of snot involved, otherwise, the tissue would have felt like sandpaper on her skin.

The scratchy tissues were irritating – she was feeling so sick, so hollow and so weak. It was with these feelings running through that she finally felt something new. She felt anger. How dare Logan put her in the position that he did – asking her to marry him out of the blue like that? He told her not to factor him in, and then, he turned around and mapped out the rest of her life. What a nerve! She gave one final blow into her tissue and picked up her phone again.

_"Hello, you've reached Logan Huntzberger. Leave a message, your contact details and I'll get back to you ASAP."_

BEEP!

Rory felt no need to introduce herself this time. "You know what? I lied. That last message was not the last time that you'll hear from me. This one is." The more Rory spoke the stronger her voice became.

"How dare you make me cry! I am not the one who made a complete one-eighty degree turn. First, you tell me not to factor you in when I make my decision. You said and I quote, 'You do what you want.' And then, you turned around and said move to California with _me_. Get a job _there_. Live in a house with an _avocado_ tree. Oh! And by the way, marry me or nothing. Who the hell do you think you are to say all or nothing to me? I have tried every step of the way to make this work between us. I stuck with you through all of your selfish stages. And the one time it was my turn to be selfish you couldn't handle it. I'm glad that I picked nothing with you, because if that was meant to be the beginning of our married lives together… it set a wonderful benchmark of just how much my wants and needs would be considered. You showed absolutely no regard for my wants and needs. It was so typically you! Not considering anyone but yourself. Heck, even just a little consistency would have been nice. If you wanted me to factor you in, all you had to do was ask. It would have been better than you giving me all those options only to take them away by changing your mind. So let me just finish with… Screw you, Logan Huntzberger, and the Porsche you rode in on!"

Rory felt a great sense of relief as she ended the call. She had finally allowed herself to be angry at Logan for putting her in this position and at herself for not being ready to say yes to his proposal. She wrapped her righteous anger around herself and fell into a deep sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Logan finished adjusting the water temperature for his shower. Now that the water was just on the side of too hot he turned the water on full blast. He heard his phone ring from the vanity where he had left it. For a moment he debated on whether to answer the phone or not, in the end he decided that whoever was calling could leave a message or would call back.

He stepped into the shower and had an instant sense of relief as the water cascaded over his body. The hard-hitting water massaged his neck, shoulders and back. He could feel the water wash away the layer of sweat sticking to his body from his run he had taken after returning home from the office.

He'd been running a lot lately. He ran to escape the empty apartment that he was now calling home. Running eased the big gapping loneliness inside of him – the pounding of his feet on the walkways was soothing. The loneliness followed him around since he walked away from Rory. Not even the grand send off that Colin and Finn had thrown him could fill the void. Not that the night wasn't memorable. He had a vague memory of lots of pretty girls throwing themselves at him. Instead of a night in bed with a blond, he had spent the night and early morning on the bathroom floor with his good friend _John_. John's only major flaw was he couldn't flush away all of Logan's troubles.

After enjoying the warmth of the water a few minutes longer, Logan finally got down to the business of cleaning up. He soaped his lean, tanned body, his fingers gently traced over the scars on his chest. They were the only ongoing reminder of the accident that he had in Costa Rica. Despite himself, he smiled at the memory of waking up and seeing Rory walk into the room. She was the only thing that he had thought about on his way down – that he was going to die and that Rory was angry at him. If he was honest, that's when he realized that Rory was the one for him. It's a pretty big sign when your dying thought was about someone else.

Logan finished rinsing off, turned off the water and stepped out into the bathroom. The cold air hit his skin, causing goose bumps over his whole body. He grabbed his towel and ran it over his head a few times, wrapped it around his hips and looked down at his phone sitting on the vanity. He was surprised to see he had three missed calls. He hadn't heard his phone at all once he stepped under the water. He punched in the retrieval code and listen to the first message. His breath hitched at the sound of Rory's voice. There had been no need for her to identify herself, he would know her voice anywhere. In fact, he had been trying hard to forget the sound of her voice, her smell and the way she looked.

Logan ended up sitting on his bathroom floor, still only dressed in a towel with his back on the white-tiled wall. He had his laptop rest on his legs; he had long finished reading all of Rory's articles from the campaign. He sighed and listened to each of Rory's messages again. This was the third or fourth time he had listened to them, each time trying to gain more insight into why she had said no. The final message was the most disturbing. Is that how she really saw it? _'God, no wonder she said no,'_ Logan thought to himself. But she had it all wrong, that's not how it had been, or at least not the way he meant it to be.

He knew that he should also be angry at Rory, probably even angrier than Rory. How dare she be mad at him when she was the one who broke his heart? The only reason he wasn't furious at her at that moment was the hurt he could hear in her voice too. He could almost see the tears as they fell down her face.

In as much as he felt broken inside, he still felt an overwhelming need to comfort Rory. It would probably kill him to hear her voice again, to talk to her, but he would do it – return her call – for her. One last time.

Logan looked at the time. Rory was three hours ahead of him, if she was in the East Coast. As late as it was, he needed to talk to her. The chances were that she still might be awake, anyway, and as much as he didn't want to speak to her, he would, if he had to. He had to leave her with some kind of comfort. And maybe, just maybe, he would find some comfort in closure as well.

_"Hi, this is Rory Gilmore, please leave a message and I'll call you back as soon as I can." _

A wave of sheer relief washed over Logan because, as much as he wanted to, he wasn't ready to talk to her yet.

BEEP!

Logan took a deep breath, "Hey, Rory, it's me… Logan." Well, that was a brilliant start Logan thought to himself.

"I think the word you were looking for was a _decompression chamber_. You're right, though, it's so strange to go from speaking all the time to nothing. I guess that I… we are going to have to get use to it. The whole not talking thing that is. Maybe one day we can be friends." Even as he said it, Logan knew it was a lie. He knew that he could never just be friends with Rory.

"I'm glad you got a job. I knew you would, you're going to do amazing things, Rory Gilmore, of that I have no doubt. Hugo did not make a mistake when he hired you… I should know… I've just spent the last hour reading your stuff. Just relax and you'll stop feeling nauseous." Logan took a few moments to collect his thoughts. And finally, he spoke what was truly in his mind.

"God! Rory, how did we get here? How did I end up on the West Coast, finally doing my own thing, and I'm doing it without you? The way you described my proposal… you make it sound like you thought I was trying to control you. I wasn't trying to control you, Rory. I hope you know that. I just couldn't imagine my life without you and my life was leading me to Palo Alto. I always saw you as part of my life… so, it was only natural that you would be here with me. Maybe, it was sheer arrogance on my part, but I was just so sure that you would say yes. It didn't really enter my mind that you didn't love me the way I love you. I'm sorry that I wasn't enough for you. I really wish I had been." Logan hung up before he could say '_I love you_.' He did love her and he was certain that he always would. But he had to get into the habit of not loving Rory. For the first time Logan has set himself a challenge that he might not be able to meet.


	3. Chapter 3

Rory awoke with a start. A pillow had been thrown at her head.

"Please check your damned messages. That thing has been beeping for the last twenty minutes and I'm trying to sleep."

Rory mustered up the dirtiest sleepy glare she could and aimed it at her roommate. The look was wasted on the back of Kelly's head.

Rory reluctantly grabbed her phone and looked at the blinking screen. Her hands started to shake when she saw a missed call from Logan.

Rory looked back at her sleeping roommate and decided that the sound of her soft snoring wasn't enough privacy for listening to Logan's message. Rory grabbed the comforter off the bed and made her way to the bathroom. She ended up sitting with her back to the door, the blanket wrapped around her, protecting her from the cold tiles.

Rory listened to Logan's message. In her heart she knew Logan hadn't meant to control her but that's what it felt like. She did find a great deal of comfort with the fact that he didn't sound mad at her. In fact, he sounded tired. Rory was a little worried but then remembered that it was close to three a.m. on the West Coast. The thing that disturbed her most about Logan's message was the feeling of finality to it. Logan clearly intended that his message was to be the last time that he spoke to her. The only catch was that Rory wasn't ready for this to be it. She felt that they deserved better than having their ending, their closure, over the phone.

In the three weeks that Rory had spent on the road she had thought a lot about what went wrong with Logan. She didn't regret her decision to turn down his proposal; she wasn't ready for the strings that held them together to turn into the binding cables of marriage. She liked the strings they had, they were flexible and gave her freedom to move, but ensured that she would always find her way back to Logan. The steel cables that hold a marriage together were so unyielding, both persons had to be ready to move in the same direction or it wouldn't work.

Her mother always insinuated that the cables of marriage was constricting and would suffocate all the good things in a relationship. Logan was the only man Rory had ever pictured herself marrying, but it was always in the distant future, she never wanted a marriage proposal to screw things up. Logan walking away from her after he proposed only served to prove what her mother had shown her by example – that marriage was the death of every good relationship.

Despite her fear of marriage and the ultimate commitment, Rory could still feel the bond that she has forged with Logan. She could feel the string that was Logan's tugging at her – its incessant pulling was growing stronger, its ever increasing weight and length was coiled deep within her belly.

Rory, ignoring the growing weight within her and completely disregarding Logan's wish to never speak to her again, dialed his number.

"_Hello, you've reached Logan Huntzberger. Leave a message, your contact details and I'll get back to you ASAP."_

BEEP!

"Well, it's official… I'm insane. Our telephone tag has made me insane. I am currently in the middle of a rally with you in a game of message tennis. Huh! Did I just use a sports metaphor? I think all the years of hanging around you have started to rub off. Of course, I have no idea what a _rally_ is, or how the whole tennis scoring thing happens. _Love, ace, deuce_, what does any of it mean? What's wrong with good old-fashioned numbers? You know _one, two, three_. See _three_ I get, that is a number. _Deuce_ is not a number that I have ever heard of."

Rory looked around the bathroom looking for something to distract her from her hatred of the tennis scoring system. Seeing nothing remotely interesting, Rory got to the point of her call.

"Do you think that what I'm doing with these messages is my version of a decompression chamber? Is this maybe our way of talking, without actually having to speak to one another? I think that this might have been the only way for me to be able to say what I wanted to tell you. If you actually answered the phone I don't think I would know what to say. I still have stuff to say, Logan, and not just hysterical yelling. I'm so sorry, Logan, I should never have spoken to you like that. I never intended to accuse you of trying to control me. It's just, well… I'm hurt, Logan. I'm lost without you. And, it's not that you weren't enough for me. You were everything to me. But, Logan, you offered me my chance at an adventure, at finding my feet in the real world. You didn't place any restrictions on what I could do or where I could go. I fell in love with that idea and you said you would be there. You changed all of that when you proposed. I didn't want to lose you but I needed to do this. This is my _London_." Rory was so desperate for Logan to understand – he had to see it from her point of view.

"Asking me to marry you felt like you were changing everything you've said. You changed my focus from seeing anything as possible down to one place, one possibility. I'd fallen in love with the freedom that you had offered me. And if I had gone with you, Logan, what would have happened if I couldn't have gotten a job in San Francisco? Was I supposed to become your housewife at the tender age of twenty-three? I didn't want that, I was not ready. It's like what Paris said… I wasn't supposed to find you yet. I was supposed to find you after I had established myself as a reporter, after the novelty of living out of my suitcase had worn off. We were supposed to meet somewhere cute and random. Then, fall in love and get married and have children and grow old together. But I didn't. I found you in college when I was _nineteen_." Rory paused, she was feeling her energy drain away, and she had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach that none of this mattered. That no matter what she said to Logan, it wouldn't change anything.

"Maybe it's the age difference. I know it has never been an issue before, it's not like it's that big of a gap, but maybe at this point in time the two-year age difference is a huge chasm between us. I wasn't ready, Logan." Rory left the words '_but I am now' _unspoken.

There was a loud bang on the door and the sudden noise caused Rory to jump with fright.

"Rory, open up. I'm gonna throw up." Rory scrambled to her feet and let her roommate in. Kelly rushed past her and went straight to the toilet. Rory, who was still clutching her phone to her ear, felt her stomach lurch as the smell of her roommate's vomit reached her nose.

"I'd better go and make sure that she doesn't die in there." Rory hung up, grabbed a bottle of water from the mini bar and prepared herself to play nurse for the rest of the day.

******************

Logan slowly drifted into consciousness. He was always reluctant to wake up these days because it would lead him to rolling over and seeing that Rory's side of the bed was vacant and cold. He still thought of the left side of his bed as hers. He missed their morning traditions: coffee in bed or on the days when they had nowhere else to be, they would just lie there talking, about everything and anything. He missed that.

Logan looked at the empty side of his bed for a few moments longer and then made a move to get up. He was sitting on the side of his bed, building up the energy to actually leave it, when he looked down at his phone where he had left it to charge overnight. His heart leaped in his chest as he saw that he had missed a call. Somehow he knew that it was Rory who had called him.

He hated to admit it but he was eager to hear what she had to say. He had fully intended for last night to be his closure with Rory, but he should have known that it wouldn't be that simple. Nothing with Rory had ever worked out to plan, why would their break-up be any different?

After he listened to Rory's message, he sat there, still in bed contemplating the meaning of the message. Logan knew that if he had been married to Rory after he graduated he would never have left for London. London, much to his disgust, was a big part of why he was now independent from Huntzberger Publishing and the clutches of his family. It had given him a taste of the world that he'd been running away from for so long. He learned that he didn't hate the card that fate had dealt him. In fact, he had ended up loving the business world. He just didn't love the way his father made it as his whole world. Logan had learned that as much as he found joy in being successful, it meant nothing without his loved one – without Rory. She has stood by him while he was away and was eternally grateful that she had given him the room to grow. It had never occurred to him that Rory would need that same time to grow as well. She was always so much more mature and put together than he had ever been. He could see that what she was doing was her version of _London_. He could even acknowledge that had she accepted his proposal, she would not be covering Obama's campaign.

Palo Alto meant nothing to Logan now, he should have been overjoyed at the prospect of doing his own thing away from his father, but it felt so hollow without Rory. Was this nothingness really better than being in a long-distance relationship?

Logan whispered to his empty bedroom. "You're right, Ace." Logan's heart felt a little lighter at finally saying her nickname. "What I did wasn't fair. I'm sorry."


	4. Chapter 4

"Huh! See, I told you that it wasn't over indulgence." Kelly said triumphantly.

"That is not helping, Kelly." Rory was currently sitting on the bathroom floor, her head hanging over the toilet bowl. After playing nurse to Kelly early in the morning, Rory was now the sick one.

Rory's stomach had finally settled and she felt safe enough to move away from the toilet and prop herself up against the bathtub. She felt exhausted after throwing up for the last two hours. She hugged her legs to her chest, resting her forehead on her knees as she started to cry.

"Hey, honey, don't cry. You'll feel better soon. Look at me… I feel a whole lot better already." Kelly walked over to Rory putting her arms around her.

Rory spoke with her face still hidden, the words muffled.

"I don't think that I have the same thing as you do." Rory looked up, avoiding eye contact with her friend, wiping tears from her face.

Kelly gave a sympathetic smile to her friend. "Of course, you do, you'll be fine in a few hours. It must be a weird stomach bug thing. I bet other people in the bus have gotten it."

Rory just nodded at her friend, she doubted that anyone else on the campaign trail had her particular ailment. Rory hoped that by humoring Kelly, she would leave her alone and give her the much desired privacy she needed to call her Mom.

"I was going to go out with some of the girls for coffee, but I'll stay in and make sure that you're okay." Kelly gently brushed the hair from Rory's face. Kelly couldn't help that Rory was a bit of a drama queen crying over a stomach bug, but Rory was a friend and she hated to see her suffering.

"Thanks, Kelly, but you don't have to do that." '_Please don't do that_,' Rory silently added in her head.

"Nonsense… you looked after me this morning, the least I can do is return the favor."

Rory looked around desperately for a way to get Kelly to leave, but upon taking one look at Kelly's face she knew that the girl was going nowhere.

"Umm… I'm gonna go to the drug store and find something to help with my stomach."

Kelly looked at her, concerned. "No, Rory, let me go."

"No, Kelly." Rory struggled to keep the eagerness out of her voice. "It's fine, really. The fresh air will do me some good."

Rory stood up and made her way over to the bathroom sink, splashed her face with water and patted it dry. Rory looked back at Kelly who was still crouched on the floor. "If I'm not back in an hour, send out a search party."

When Rory left their motel room, she had no intention of actually going to a drug store. But in her wandering to find a secluded place for a phone call, she stumbled upon one. Rory couldn't help but think of it as a sign.

She found herself standing in an aisle of the drug store, trying to pick one of the several products in front of her. Who knew there were so many choices – Rory wondered which one was better than the other. She wished that she had done some research on what tests were better and why.

God damn it! She needed her Mommy to help her make the right purchase.

Rory pulled out her phone and made the phone call she had been dreading. She knew she couldn't avoid the conversation forever, but a few weeks grace period for her to process would have been nice. A week of it brewing in the back of her mind had not been enough time.

"Hello," the voice that answered sounded distracted. The background noise reminded her of Luke's Diner.

"Hey, Grandma."

Lorelai took a second glance at her phone, she was sure that it was Rory's number that had come up. After checking that she was right, she answered her confused daughter. "Hey, kid, I think you have the wrong number. And, I must say that I am a little insulted."

Rory shifted her weight from one foot to another. "Well, this is Lorelai Victoria Gilmore, isn't it?"

"Well, yes." Lorelai had no idea what her daughter was leading to, somehow she knew it would be good to play along.

"And, are you not the mother of one Lorelai Leigh Gilmore also known as Rory?"

"Yes."

"Then, I definitely have the right number and you should not feel insulted, as I am Rory Gilmore, your beloved daughter and I am currently standing in a drug store trying to pick between Clearblue Easy and Early Bird One Step." Lorelai almost dropped her phone. There could only be one reason why her daughter would be looking at those products.

"Hang on, Rory."

Lorelai made her way to the back of Luke's Diner. She ducked her way between Babette and Miss Patty and pretended not to see Luke's inquisitive look. Her high heels made a tapping noise as she ascended the stairs to the old apartment. Only once the door was securely shut behind her did she restart the conversation with her daughter.

"Rory, are you sure?"

Rory, who had listened to her mother's journey for privacy impatiently, was now lost for words. She drew a deep breath and found some courage.

"Sure that I'm two weeks late, yes. Sure that I've been suffering from nausea, yes. Sure that I'm pregnant." Rory felt her tears well up. "No, I'm not sure. Hence, me trying to pick which pregnancy tests I should buy." Rory wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"So, two weeks, huh?"

"Yep."

There was a long pause as both contemplated what being two weeks late meant to their lives. It was about the two-week late mark that Lorelai had become aware of Rory's existence. Two weeks late was the starting point of her adult life.

Lorelai snapped out of her own thoughts and jumped into Mom mode. There was no point wasting time on worrying until they knew for sure that there was something to worry about.

"Okay, so we're picking pregnancy tests? What brands do they have?"

Rory was grateful that her Mom left the probing questions for a later time. "Well, there seems to be about 4 different kinds of Clearblue Easy."

Lorelai shook her head, "No, not that one. You might be knocked-up but you're not easy."

"Mom!" Rory could not believe her mother had just said that.

"What? It's true." Lorelai could not believe that her daughter would still be shocked by the words that came out of her mouth.

"That is sooo not the point, Mom."

"You're right… the point is that Mommy is always correct about these things and I say that Clearblue Easy is not for you."

"Okay, well, what about Confirm 1-Step?"

"Too clinical."

"Well, it is a pregnancy test."

Lorelai shook her head even though Rory couldn't see, she shouted out, "Next!"

Rory was starting to get a little worried that none of the tests in front of her would satisfy her mother. "First Response?"

"Sounds like a police tactical team."

Rory was now getting impatient with her mother. "Mom, are you going to help or just make funny comments?"

"Hey, you called, asking for my opinion on which test you should get, that implies that you want my input. So, tell me the other choices and I promise not to comment until after you've finished."

Rory, skeptical of her mother's promise, rattled off the names of the other tests. "Hannaford Predictor, QTest, Answer and Dipstick."

Lorelai bounced up and down on the couch. "Ooo, get the Dipstick one!"

"Mom, you're picking that purely based on name, not on the quality of the test."

Lorelai could now see that her daughter was going to have little to no sense of humor on the subject. "Rory, all of the tests are pretty much the same, the only difference is how sensitive they are. So, as a rule of thumb, the more expensive the more sensitive."

Rory scanned the shelves reading the price tags. "I hate to admit it, but, Dipstick is one of the most expensive tests."

"See, I told you." Lorelai smiled, she liked being right.

"Well, I still want to pick a couple of other brands."

"Of course, you do. Get Answer because we need one and Q-Test."

"What, no explanation on why I should get Q-Test?"

"Well, I don't like the sound of the Predictor one, I want it to know not predict. So, that leaves Q-Test and while it does remind me of a Q-Tip, it's the least offensive one left."

"Okay, well, I'll go buy these. I'll call you back later tonight. I can't take the test till then." Rory gathered the tests in her arms and made her way to the check-out.

"Rory, don't you want to talk about this?"

"Not until I know for sure. Right now I need go back to my room and get ready for the rally that starts in a few hours."

"Rory."

"Please, Mom, if I talk about this now I'm going to cry. I can't cry, not now."

Lorelai could hear the desperation in her daughter's voice. "Okay, call me later tonight, no matter how late."

"Okay, I love you."

"I love you too, kid." Rory hung up her phone and took her selection of pregnancy tests to the check-out. It was going to be a long day.

******************

Rory waited until Kelly had been gone for almost twenty minutes before taking her pregnancy tests out from their hiding and into the bathroom.

Rory closed the bathroom door behind her, not because she was afraid that Kelly would come back and see them, but because she needed as much space as possible from the tests. Rory looked around searching for her phone, despite the gravity of the situation she appreciated the _Twilight Zone_ moment she was having. This morning, in a totally different city Rory sat in a motel room crying after finally admitting that she was two weeks late. This evening, she found herself in a new room that was almost identical to the one she had been in earlier. Once she found her phone, there was only one number that she longed to call.

"Mom, I just peed on the sticks."

Remembering her daughter's earlier request, Lorelai tried to stay calm and be focused to the situation on hand without making funny remarks. "Okay, so how long should we wait?"

Rory looked down at her watch, "Another two minutes and thirty-nine seconds."

Rory started pacing up and down her motel room at an incredible pace. She started at the bathroom door, passed the two double beds, T.V, the front door, only to turn around and repeat the process, in reverse.

Lorelai couldn't hear anything from her side of the phone call. "Rory?"

"Yeah, I'm here… I just don't know what to say? I mean what if I am..." Rory couldn't bring herself to say the_ P_ word, not this close to her finding out if she was indeed pregnant.

"What am I going to do? What about my job? What about Logan? Oh! God, Logan!" The distress was now showing in Rory's voice.

"Rory, you need to wait until the tests are done. If you are pregnant, we'll work this out, one step at a time. It will all work out just fine, trust me."

"No, it won't, Mom."

"It will, Rory, it will take time, but it will work out. Look at you and me, we turned out just fine."

"Yeah, we may have turned out fine, but… Logan and I will never work out and I hate it. I miss him all the time and it's not getting any better. I've even called him. Well, I left messages for him. He called me back. I thought that that would make it easier but it didn't, and now there is this." Rory gestured down to her stomach.

Lorelai was surprised – this was the first time she had heard of Rory and Logan talking since graduation.

"Wow, hold up there, little lady. You've spoken to Logan?"

"Well, no, we've left voice messages for each other in phone tag. I just couldn't bear not speaking to him any longer." Rory was borderline hyperventilating.

"Honey, you need to calm down, have a seat and take a few deep breaths for me."

Rory followed her Mom's instructions: sat down on the edge of her bed, and then, she started taking deep breaths. Once Rory's breathing was under control, Lorelai spoke again.

"How long to go?"

Rory looked down at her watch, "Ten seconds." Rory got up and stood in front of the bathroom door just staring at it. "Mom, I'm scared."

"I know, honey, but I'm here for you no matter what."

Rory nodded at her mother's words and opened the bathroom door. She walked over and looked down at the vanity where she had neatly lined up the three tests. She looked down and her heart stopped. The tears started to silently fall down her face, her knees felt weak. She still hadn't spoken to her Mom when she found herself on the bathroom floor with her back to the bathtub.

Rory whispered in a croaky voice, "Mom, you were sure that everything was going to work out just fine… I'd like to know how everything will be fine… because the information seems very relevant right now."

Lorelai's heart broke at how weak and vulnerable her daughter sounded, "Oh! Rory, so I take it I'm going to be a grandma?'

"Yeah."

"Where are you, Rory?"

"In the bathroom." Rory made the statement as if her mother had asked the dumbest question on the planet.

"No, I mean what city?"

Rory finally figured out why her mother wanted to know this information. "Mom, I don't want you to come out here."

"And, just why not?"

"Because if you come here I'm going to fall apart and I can't afford to do that, not yet. I need to organize work and I need to call Logan. He needs to know. I can't do any of that if you come."

Lorelai understood her daughter's need to do some of this on her own – she knew what she was going through. And, she knew that there were going to be some things that Rory had to do on her own.

"Okay, Rory, I won't come. But you call me any time, night or day, and I'll be there for you. I'll drop everything and come running and… as you know Gilmore girls do not run, but for you I will make an exception."

"Thanks, Mom, I need to go."

"Rory, just a little advise, call Logan sooner rather than later. The longer you put it off, the harder it's going to get."

"I know… I was kind of planning on calling him as soon as we hang up."

"Well, that's taking my advice very literally. You know you can give yourself a little time to process, say an hour or so. "

"I know, but like you said, the longer I put it off, the harder it's going to get."

"Okay, I'll talk to you soon. Let me know how things go with Logan."

"I will, I'll call you as soon as I've spoken to him. Bye." Rory hung up on her Mom and found her fingers dialing Logan's number before she could even chicken out.

_"Hello, you've reached Logan Huntzberger. Leave a message, your contact details and I'll get back to you ASAP."  
_

BEEP!

"Hey, Logan," Rory found the need to clear her voice. "Umm… look, I need you to do me a favor, call me back. Or, next time I call, please answer? I really need to talk to you, I need..." Rory was crying now, the tears were falling freely down her face. "God! Logan… I just really need you right now. Please, call me."

After hanging up, Rory stayed on the floor crying, her phone clutched in her hand. She was starting to feel cold – more likely from shock than from the air-conditioning. She knew she should get up and move, she knew she should clean away the positive pregnancy tests, but she couldn't bring herself to move. Even when she heard the motel room door open and Kelly announced in a sing-song voice that she was back, Rory still did not move. Rory was vaguely aware that Kelly was talking to her about how fun the night was and that she should have come, but the words weren't really registering. It wasn't until Kelly was in the doorway, looking down at her that Rory finally looked up.

The sight of Rory in so much anguish quickly wiped away the elation that Kelly had been feeling at having a good night out. "Rory, what's wrong?"

Rory knew that she should answer, but she couldn't. Kelly looked around the bathroom hoping to find some tissues for her friend – instead, she found the three positive pregnancy tests. A sight that struck fear into any single woman's heart.

"Oh! God, Rory," Kelly instantly went to her friend and wrapped her arms around her. Kelly noticed how they were playing out the scene from earlier that day. Kelly was dying to ask Rory who the father was, but she knew that Rory was in no condition to be answering questions at that moment.

Almost an hour after finding out about her impending motherhood, Rory found herself being pulled up from the bathroom floor by Kelly. Rory leaned against her friend heavily as she was led out of the bathroom. Kelly helped Rory into her bed and tucked her in. Kelly turned off the lights and spent a sleepless night listening to her friend cry.

When morning came Kelly was reluctant to wake Rory as she had only fallen asleep around 4 a.m. Kelly, letting Rory sleep in, got dressed and went down to the breakfast room. She loaded a large tray with pastries, toast and juices, unsure of what Rory would feel like eating. As Kelly entered their room she was greeted by the sound of Rory suffering from morning sickness. Kelly placed the tray down on the round table, sat down in one of the chairs and started to munch away on her toast while waiting for Rory to come out.

Finally, the toilet flushed and, after a pause of silence, water could be heard running in the sink, then, Rory came out of the bathroom. Rory avoided eye contact with Kelly; she busied herself with charging her phone.

"I brought breakfast… I wasn't sure what you would want, so I got a range of stuff."

Rory looked down at the variety of food that Kelly had brought and felt her stomach do a back-flip, and then, her eye caught sight of the orange juice. Her stomach didn't turn at the idea of orange juice – in fact, the orange juice looked good.

Rory gratefully took her first sip of juice and found that it tasted just as good as it looked; she smiled and looked at Kelly, "Thanks."

"No problem." Rory sat down in the chair opposite to Kelly.

"So?" Kelly left the question hanging in the air – she wasn't sure how to start this conversation.

Rory, who had finished her first glass of O.J., reached for the second glass of juice ignoring the unasked question. "Come on, Rory, you have to tell me something. Is it someone in the press corps? Cause if it is, I won't tell, not until you're ready."

Rory hung her head, "It's no one in the corps."

"I didn't think it was." Rory looked up at her friend, scared that she may know something.

"And, you don't have a boyfriend back home, I know because I've never heard you talk to anyone other male than your grandfather."

"Please, I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, you're going to have to. Sooner or later you're going to start showing, or if we swap roommates they're going to figure it out. Not everyone will keep their mouth shut." Rory looked at Kelly in fear – what if Kelly let it slip that she was pregnant?

Kelly, seeing the look on her face, clarified her statement. "Not that I'm going to spill. I would never do that, but not everyone is like me."

Rory whispered, "I know."

Rory took a few moments to collect her thoughts. "I haven't spoken to the father yet, I'm not going to do anything else until he knows. I know things didn't end well, but he has a right to know."

* * *

OMG! Yes this is a pregnancy fic. Congratulations to **iwannabegilmore **for guessing right. I'm hoping not to make this too cliché, I know that there are a lot of pregnancy fics out there, but if you stick with me I think that you will find that its a little different from the others.

I would also like to say a big thank you to everyone who is reading and reviewing. The response has been overwhelming, it truly does inspire me to keep writing.


	5. Chapter 5

The rally had just finished. Rory made her way through the crowd exiting the sports arena. She fished out of her handbag her phone that had been vibrating incessantly throughout the whole program. Once she had established it was her mother calling non-stop, she removed the phone from her hip and dropped it into the recesses of her bag. Rory figured, with her mother calling so much, the odds of Logan being able to call and talk to her and not going straight to voice mail were slim to nil. It had been two days since she had left the message for him to call, and it had been two agonizing days of nothing. She didn't know how much longer she could hold herself together – the weight of her secret was starting to wear on her. She was desperate to start making plans about her future but she couldn't let anyone else know about the pregnancy until she had spoken to Logan.

Once outside and in the open Rory called her mother back, she didn't give her Mom a chance to say _hello. _"Okay, see most people get the idea, after calling three times in a row and not one of those calls answered, that the person they are calling is unavailable."

"Well, that's just the point, isn't it? I'm not most people and I want to talk to my knocked-up kid."

"Mom!" Rory looked around, praying that no one had heard her mother's outburst.

"What? It's true. Besides you haven't called me for two whole days. I was getting worried."

"I know I haven't called. I said that I would speak to you after I've been in contact with Logan. As yet, I haven't been able to speak to him."

Kelly, who had been walking side by side with Rory, was now listening in very closely to the conversation Rory was having with her mother. _Logan_. It was the first time that Kelly had a name for the mystery man of Rory's past. Rory had provided a few precious details since having found out she was pregnant. Kelly changed her pace to match Rory's hoping that she would find out more by eavesdropping.

"Do you think that he is ignoring you?"

"I don't know. I hope not. He didn't ignore the first messages that I left him and to be honest I sounded like the crazy cat lady the first time." Rory could faintly hear the babble of the people around her.

_"Who do you think he's here to see?"_

_"I wish it was me. I do love a good blond."_

Rory really wished that everyone would just go away – they were nothing but a distraction. She stopped walking and put one finger in her ear, straining to hear her mother better.

"Maybe he's just busy." Lorelai said hopefully.

"Yeah, maybe. This is the first time that he has not found the time to call, even if he is busy. I know I hurt him, Mom, but I thought that he at least owed me this. He must really hate me." Rory had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from crying. She would not cry in public.

"Rory, honey, I'm sure that Logan doesn't hate you. Like you said, he's hurting. He thought that he was going to be building his future with you. You burst his bubble, babe… it's going to take time for him to recover." Lorelai was conscious of the fact that she sounded like she was defending Logan, not that he had done anything wrong. She did, however, feel the need to rationalize his behavior, hoping in vain that it would lessen Rory's anguish.

Rory ignored her mother's explanation. "Mom, can I…" Rory stopped herself from finishing her half-formed question. She knew that she had no right to ask this from her mother.

"Can you what?"

Rory didn't answer; she regretted that she had even allowed her question to be half spoken.

"Rory, come on, can you what?"

Rory reasoned to herself that it was now or never. "Can I ask you a question about the day that Logan asked for your permission to marry me?"

Kelly had to stop herself from jumping up and down in glee. This was the best drama that she had seen outside of Wisteria Lane.

"Rory, I don't know. I can't see how that is going to help."

"I know and you're probably right. I just feel like I need to know what Logan said."

Lorelai thought back to the night that Logan had asked her for Rory's hand in marriage. It was possibly one of the most surreal nights of her life_. _She clearly remembered what she thought and felt that night...

_Here she was in her late thirties, her love life falling apart, and here was her daughter's twenty-five year old boyfriend and he had figured out what he wanted in life, and what he wanted was her daughter. Lorelai had yet to admit to herself that she was a little jealous that her daughter at such a young age would be able to, if she has not already, figure out her love life._

_Lorelai had felt like such an idiot, she knew that Logan had asked her a question, she knew that she was expected to answer, but she just kept waiting for someone to say 'just kidding'. She was about to look around for the Candid Camera crew when Logan said her name again._

"_Lorelai?"_

"_Umm Logan. I have no idea what to say."_

"_Well, I'm hoping that you will give me your permission."_

"_Why?"_

"_Because your opinion means a lot to Rory. I know that this is an old-fashioned tradition, but it just wouldn't feel right asking her to marry me without your consent and blessing."_

"_No, I mean why do you want to marry her." Lorelai watched as Logan took a moment to organize his thoughts for his answer._

"_Lorelai, you know how hard it is to find someone you could love… would love… let alone in the world that I was brought up in. I never thought that love was possible. Until I met Rory, I thought that I would get married and have children out of obligation. Rory would never be an obligation to me… she would be my reason to come home at night, not my reason to stay away. I love her."_

_Lorelai understood what Logan was saying. It was the same motivation that had driven her to leave her childhood home, she knew that there was more to life than the one that her parents believed she should have._

Lorelai snapped out of her reminiscing and answered Rory's question. "He said that he loved you and that you weren't an obligation to him." Lorelai knew that she had given Rory an awful summary of what Logan had said. She felt it was not her place to say more.

But before Rory could process what her Mom had just said, the noise around Rory surged again, one voice cut thought the audio confusion like a knife.

"_Hey, isn't that Logan Huntzberger?"_

Rory almost tripped over at the sound of Logan's name, she looked around desperately for her eyes to confirm what her ears had heard. Finally, some of the crowd dispersed to reveal Logan Huntzberger leaning against the bus she was about to board. He was busy scanning the crowd, no doubt looking for her. The reporters who had passed him were giving him a second look, clearly knowing who he was. Logan seemed oblivious to the looks he was receiving. While there was still distance between them, Rory took the time to admire him as he watched the wave of people from the rally. He was dressed in dark blue slacks with an ivory button-down shirt; he had unbuttoned the cuffs and rolled the sleeves up, his hair was the perfect mix of messy and well-groomed. He held a to-go tray with two cups of coffee in his hand.

Then Rory remembered that she didn't have the right to be admiring him like that. He wasn't hers anymore, then again, he may not be hers but he was here. She realized that he wasn't ignoring her. He had exceeded her wildest expectations by flying all the way from California to see her. The fear that Logan hated her evaporated on the thought that his actions were not that of a man who hated her.

Rory spoke into her phone, "Mom, I have to go."

"Hey, I only just started talking to you." Lorelai didn't bother to hide her annoyance at her daughter's inattentiveness.

"I know, Mom, I'm sorry… I have to go and speak to Logan." Kelly, who had stopped when Rory had, was now looking from the blond to the brunette by her side.

Kelly gave Rory a questioning look – a look that was clearly asking '_Is that the father?'. _Rory nodded her head at the unasked question. Kelly's jaw dropped, she was in shock. Rory had landed a Huntzberger. Wow. Then Kelly recalled a gossip column that she had read a few weeks ago, the article said that Logan had left the family business after having his heart broken by his long-time girlfriend Lorelai Gilmore who had turned down his marriage proposal. It never occurred to Kelly that there was a connection between the name Gilmore of Hartford high society and Rory. She would have never guessed that Lorelai Gilmore was Rory Gilmore, her roommate. Kelly thought to herself, "_Boy, Rory wasn't lying when she said that things ended badly between her and the father."_

Kelly snapped out of gossip mode and became the friend whom Rory needed. She leaned in and whispered in Rory's ear. "I'll take my time getting back to our room… you won't see me until three o'clock."

Rory gave an appreciative nod.

Lorelai's voice came over the phone. "Hey, I'm not feeling the love here."

"What?" Rory had actually forgotten that she was on the phone with her mother. "Sorry, Mom, I mean that Logan is here, leaning against the bus that I'm about to get on."

"Wow, that boy really does have a flare for the dramatic."

"Yeah, I know. I have to go… wish me luck."

"Consider luck wished." As Rory hung up on her mother, she started walking towards the bus again.

Rory felt like she was moving in a vat of molasses, her limbs seemed impossibly heavy. She knew that it was her own trepidation creating the resistance in her forward momentum.

Rory knew the moment that Logan had spotted her. He pushed himself away from the bus taking a couple of hesitant steps forward. Rory could feel his eyes on her as they swept her body. She was thankful she wasn't showing yet, because with that look he would have noticed. Logan didn't start at her feet and move his gaze up to be degrading, he started there to give himself time until he had to see the most striking blue eyes he had ever seen.

At last, they made eye contact and started to move towards the other, they both stopped moving at the same time, leaving a distance of about four feet between them. For Rory the distance felt like miles, for Logan the distance felt like inches. He was too close, much too close for his fragile resolve. Logan had spent the last day and a half trying to convince himself that he didn't need to talk to Rory. Rory had lost her right to make demands on him the day she turned down his proposal. Logan was close enough to Rory to have his bitter thoughts broken by the sight of her. She was not the image that Logan held in his mind's eye. Instead of finding her vivacious eyes sparkling with mischief, he found them dull, almost lifeless. Her porcelain skin appeared waxen and was tainted by an unhealthy grey tinge. In spite of his efforts to stay detached, Logan found himself being concerned for Rory's well-being.

"Hi,' Rory cringed at how inadequate the word _hi_ was for the situation.

"Hey," Logan felt a little relieved at the sound of her voice – she didn't sound sick, she just sounded tired.

Maybe her lack of color and spark was just because she was working herself too hard – it was something she would do. _Ahhh!_ Logan mentally yelled at himself – he couldn't be worrying about Rory. This was meant to be his chance for closure, to put to rest the future that he thought he would have with her. Logan knew that he shouldn't prolong this moment, the more time he spent in her presence, the harder it would be for him to walk away. The harder it would be for him to get over her.

After receiving Rory's last message his first instinct was to call her back, but he kept putting it off, reasoning that it wasn't his role to be her emotional support anymore. But he had not been able to shake the sound of her voice – it hadn't sounded like Rory at all. She hadn't sounded like an ex-girlfriend trying to reconcile with him. But then, Logan had never had any girlfriend prior to Rory, so he really didn't know what an ex-girlfriend sounded like. Before Rory, he really hadn't had anything.

Logan had spent a solid day trying to ignore the ache in his arms. It hadn't been until late the night before that he had figured out the cause of his ailment. Logan's arms were aching with the need to hold Rory, to take away the pain that he had heard in her voice. He hadn't understood just how overwhelming that need was until this morning when he found himself driving to the airport instead of work. On the way he called Hugo, Rory's boss, to find out where she would be and when.

Now that he found himself standing before her, he knew that it was a bad idea. While Logan hoped that Rory would find some comfort out of his spontaneous trip, he was starting to question his decision and dreading the price he would have to pay emotionally.

"Look, Rory, I haven't come to whisk you off your feet, but I have come to talk. You said that you needed…" Logan hesitated, he wanted to say _me_, instead he said, "You said that you needed to talk." Logan couldn't bring himself to utter the phrase that Rory had left on his voice mail, that she needed _him__._ It wasn't a message that he had believed. If she had needed him, she would have said _yes_.

"Yeah, I do need to talk to you." Rory looked away – the eye contact had been just too intense.

She looked around and saw that they had an audience; people not very discreetly were listening to their conversation. "I thought that we could go back to my room, Kelly's not going to be back for a while, and we'll have some privacy there."

"Can't we do it here, or in a cafe or something?" The last thing Logan wanted was to be alone in a room with Rory.

"No, we need to do this in private."

Logan followed Rory's eyes and, for the first time, he became aware that people were focusing on them. He was used to people looking at him, but he knew Rory wasn't. He looked at Rory, she had her stubborn face on, and underneath it there was a silent pleading for him to listen. Logan stood there for a moment, wanting to refuse her request. He was sure that, purely out of spite had he been petty, he would find some kind of satisfaction in causing Rory pain. But, he was also definitely sure that he was not that person, and that he didn't want to play that kind of game. So under the weight of Rory's pleading and the hopeful weight that rested in his pocket, he found himself nodding in agreement. _Maybe there was more to this than regret_. Logan ignored that thought – he couldn't allow himself to feel hope, let alone anything else. He didn't know how he would function if he had to feel rejection again.

Logan gestured for Rory to follow him. He led her down the pathway, away from the buses and people. His arm automatically reached out so that he could place his hand on the small of her back, but before he could feel the heat of her body, he stopped himself and moved his arm away. It was hard enough seeing her again; he didn't know what touching her would do to his self-control.

The unfinished gesture didn't go unnoticed to Rory. The fact that he pulled away made what she had to say all the harder. Soon, she would be giving Logan news that would bind him to her forever. Rory shook her head at the thought – she never expected that she would have to form a permanent bond with a man who hated her.

Once his rental car was in sight, he unlocked it with the remote, the car beeped and the headlights flashed. Rory silently made her way to the passenger side of the car.

Once inside the car, Logan looked across at Rory, "Here, I you brought coffee."

Rory gave a sad smile, "Thanks." The offer of coffee gave Rory hope that Logan didn't hate her. She hoped that, as cold and indifferent as Logan was being towards her, surely Logan bringing her coffee was a sign, if not of affection, then at least of consideration for her.

Rory took the cup from Logan's hand, careful not to touch him, hoping that she would never have to see him shy away from touching her again. The coffee opened up a different kettle of fish. If Rory didn't take at least a sip, Logan would know something was wrong. She knew Logan making the jump in logic that she was pregnant was far-fetched. Rory found herself debating which would be the lesser of evils: Logan discovering that she was pregnant by her not taking a sip of coffee or the possibility of the coffee harming her unborn child by her taking a sip of coffee. In the end Rory reasoned to herself that her mother drank coffee when she was pregnant, and Rory thought that she had turned out just fine.

Rory took a tentative sip of her coffee, the rich mocha latte glided over her tongue and down her throat. It gave an instant warming sensation over her whole body. But once the sip was swallowed, guilt kicked in. Coffee really was not good for the baby.

Logan watched as Rory took a sip of her favorite beverage, her normal look of ecstasy was absent. In its place was a brief look of satisfaction, followed by a look of almost self-reproach. She hadn't even made her usual '_hmm' _sound that she would make when drinking a really good cup of coffee. He knew the coffee was good; he was on his second cup. Something was wrong. No Gilmore girl could stop at one sip of coffee. Giving up on the mystery, Logan turned the key in the ignition and drove away.


	6. Chapter 6

The motel was one of the U-shaped types where the building wraps around the parking lot, with all of the motel rooms' doors opening onto the balcony that also served as a walkway. At night and with only one of the parking lot lights working, the place looked a little seedy – if it wasn't for the fact that over thirty reporters following Barak Obama were staying in that motel, Logan would have feared for Rory's safety.

Logan silently followed Rory from the car towards one of the staircases of the motel. Rory looked back at Logan, "Sorry, the elevator isn't working."

Logan shrugged his shoulders. "That's okay."

Rory disappeared around the corner, her heels clunking on the metal steps. By the time Logan had reached the bottom of the steps, Rory was half way up them. Logan took a moment to appreciate the way her ass swayed from side to side with each step. The tight fitting black pencil-skirt showed off her curves. It had a slit up the back, showing off a long expanse of her creamy legs. The skirt had not been a part of Rory's wardrobe a few weeks ago, Logan would have remembered it. Logan clenched his fists and took his eyes off the magnificent sight, reminding himself that he came for emotional closure. Logan proceeded to make his way up the steps two at a time so that he could catch up with her.

Rory already had the key card in her hand by the time she reached her room, it was a safety precaution that she had developed early on. Rory opened the door and entered. She sat her bag down on her bed; she heard the door click closed, signaling that Logan was in the room.

She turned to find him leaning against the door, his arms crossed over his chest, the veins cording nicely and showing off his tanned muscular arms. Logan's stance was aggressive, if it was possible to be in a room without being in it, Logan was achieving the impossible. Rory thought that it was impossible that Logan would ever forgive her for hurting him. He trusted so few people and she felt like she had betrayed him the day she said _no_. As Rory tried to organize her thoughts on how to tell Logan what she needed to tell him, she realized that it was pretty much impossible to become pregnant while on the pill and using condoms. Rory also knew that it was impossible that the conversation that they were about to have would go well. But then, Rory thought that it was impossible that Logan would come and be standing before her. Despite all the pain that Rory caused and the hate that Logan must have felt towards Rory, he was standing there in front of her. And, they did share a life together against all odds. Suddenly, a room that had been full of impossibilities now had the faintest ray of hope. Rory could feel a spark of hope. It was almost like she was holding onto it, encased in a delicate crystal ball.

Rory just stood there, staring at him. How could she even begin to tell Logan the news that would change his life forever?

"Well, you said that you needed to talk. I'm here, so talk."

Rory physically flinched at the sound of hostility in Logan's voice, causing her to drop her crystal ball of hope.

"Logan, I swear… I don't know how this happened." As the tears started to fall, Rory could feel a weight being lifted off her shoulder, she didn't have to keep secrets anymore. "I mean, I know how it happened, and let me tell you the rumors are not true. I did not see a stork and I don't recall us ever playing in the cabbage patch." Euphemisms were nice and safe. Maybe she could tell Logan she was pregnant without actually having to say the words.

"Rory, what on earth are you saying?"

Of course, Logan has chosen that moment to be not perceptive. Had he not seen the Warner Brothers cartoons where the stork brings the happy couple their baby?

"I'm pregnant." Rory hadn't meant to blurt the words out like that. She had wanted to break the news to Logan as gently as she could to make the information of his impending fatherhood easier to process and to digest. She did not want to cause any more pain. Rory closed her eye's clearing her vision from her tears. When Rory opened her eyes again, Logan was still just standing.

"Logan, say something, _please_." Rory felt that Logan yelling at her would be better than him just standing, staring.

"Are you sure?" Logan's voice sounded distant.

Rory sat down on the bed; her legs could no longer hold her weight.

"I haven't been to the doctors or anything, but I'm three positive-pregnancy tests sure."

Logan looked away at this. It was incredibly unlikely that three pregnancy tests would be wrong. Logan felt faint and decided to join Rory on the bed before he collapsed. He left just enough space between them so that they weren't touching, but close enough that they could feel the heat radiate off each other's bodies.

The pair sat in silence, each contemplating the magnitude of the situation. Logan was the first to break the silence. "What do you plan to do?"

"Well, I was hoping that _we_ figure out what _we_ would do, but I can figure this out on my own if I have to."

Logan reached across and grabbed Rory's hand, "Rory, you are not in this alone. What I meant was do you plan on keeping it?"

"Yes!" Rory pulled back in shock and looked at Logan; she hated breaking contact with Logan, especially since he had willingly touched her. As surprising and unplanned the baby was, it was their child, after all. Her child will never grow up feeling unwanted; she had hoped that Logan would feel the same way.

"Good, I'm glad."

Rory hung her head low and whispered, "Are you really?"

"Rory, I'm not going to lie. This was unexpected… the timing is horrible considering where you and I are at. But I cannot regret the fact that you and I will have a child together." Logan, frustrated that Rory wasn't looking at him, went down on his knees in front of her. He placed his fingers under her chin and lifted her face until they were looking into each other's eyes.

"Ace, I'm here for you and the baby." Logan reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, blue velvet box. He had been carrying the ring around for days. He had intended to put it in his safety deposit box at the bank, but he always seemed to forget or run out of time.

"Rory, marry me."

"Logan…" Rory looked at the offered ring with fear and regret. She got up walked over to the window, looking out over the parking lot. She would not be able to bear to see the look on Logan's face when she has to say _no_ again, the parked cars were a safer view.

Logan didn't miss the look of regret on her face, for the split second that it was there, before she had turned away. He smelled hope. "No, Rory, listen to me. I asked you before I knew you were pregnant. I meant it then and I mean it now." Logan could see the answer in Rory's body language, but he pressed on, not wanting to give up a second time. "All the barriers that you saw that kept you from saying _yes_ the first time, do they really matter now?" Rory didn't answer him.

He got up from the bed and stood behind Rory. "Do they, Rory?"

"What will people think?"

Logan pulled Rory away from the window to face him. He gripped her arms and turned her around – she _had_ to listen to him. Logan had no doubt in his mind that they were meant to spend the rest of their lives together, he just had to convince Rory.

"Who cares what people think, all that matters is that we know the truth. Rory, I love you, I was a fool for saying all or nothing, but I was so scared of losing you that I pushed. I thought if I pushed hard enough that you would say _yes_. It never occurred to me that you weren't ready. I figured that since I was ready that you would be right there with me."

While Rory found comfort in his words, it didn't change the problem at hand.

"But us getting married isn't going to solve anything." Rory broke free of Logan's hold and started to pace.

Logan noted that she didn't say that she still wasn't ready. "Rory, marriage isn't about solving anything. It's about being with the person you love no matter what and whatever issue or problem you have, you'll work through it together. I'm in your life now no matter what… our child made sure of that. But, I want more than being just the father of your child. Not because it's the right thing to do. Not because it's what my parents or your grandparents would want. I want us to get married because it's what _we_ want. I'll do it on whatever terms you want. We can live in Stars Hollow if you want, I don't care!"

Rory loved hearing those words from Logan, but she was so scared. Marriage has always been a big scary thing in her house growing up. Her mother had always viewed marriage as the end of everything. Rory didn't want an end with Logan, she wanted a forever.

"But you shouldn't get married just because of a baby."

"That's your mother's issue not yours. For god's sake, Ace, I kept this ring and brought it with me with the hope that you would change your mind. Pregnant or not I want you to marry me."

Logan took a deep calming breath and with that breath came a moment of clarity – Rory was scared. She was scared that the only way to have him in her and their child's life is if she says _yes_. As much as Logan liked Christopher he would never understand the way he treated Rory and Lorelai.

"Look, Ace, I'm not going to force you into this, I want you to be my wife but if I can only have you as the mother of my child… that's fine as well. No matter what your answer is Rory, I'm not walking away from you or the baby. I won't be like our fathers. I hate that you had to pee on a stick without me. I can't even imagine how freaked out you were. I'm freaked out. I'm going to be a father!... I'm going to be a dad." At Logan's second declaration of fatherhood his voice grew soft.

Rory stopped pacing at the sound of softness in Logan's voice and she looked at him. This was as serious as she had ever seen him.

"I swear no matter what answer you give me I will love you and our child unconditionally… I will always be here for both of you… we're joined now with steel cables instead of strings. I'm not holding this over your head… marriage won't be a condition for me to be here for you. You are not an obligation to me, you are a necessity. I need you. So, one last time, Ace, will you marry me?"

Rory now knew that her mother's use of the word _obligation_ had meant more than she had initially thought. Obviously Logan had used the same word when he had asked for her mother's permission. Rory understood that Logan felt so much pressure from all the obligations that were thrust upon him, the fact that despite all the drama and ups and downs that they had had in their relationship, she wasn't a burden to him. Rory was crying – she _wanted_, no, she _needed_ to believe him so badly. She had spent her life wanting to believe the men in her life. Dean, Jess, her father. But they had all walked away instead of staying for her. Her father was the worst of them all. He had even picked someone else rather than stay with her.

The last time that she had believed her father was going to stay was just before Sookie's wedding. She was so sure that her parents were going to make it work and for the first time Rory could see that her Mom wanted it to work. But then he left and picked GiGi over her and her Mom. As much as she loved her father and the relationship that they have built over the last few years, a big part of her has been waiting for him to walk away again. And there was the difference between her father and Logan.

While her father spent his time walking away and coming back when he could be bothered, Logan, the few times that they had been apart, spent his time coming back for her. In fact even when apart, he was still holding onto her and she just didn't know it.

"And you swear that no matter what my answer is that you won't leave me," Rory placed her hand on her stomach, "us."

She needed to hear him say it. She needed to believe him and for that she needed to see his eyes. She took a step closer to him but still maintained her distance.

"Never, Ace, I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me, both of you." Logan spoke with such sincerity and conviction that it left no room for doubt that he meant what he had just said.

Tears streamed down Rory's face. Logan wanted to comfort her desperately but they needed to work this part out first. He needed to know under what title he would be comforting her – fiancé or father of her child.

Rory said something, but it was too soft for him to hear. He stepped closer, placed his hand on her hip and drew her in against his body, "I didn't hear you, Ace."

Rory looked up at Logan, her eyes brimming with tears. She spoke the words that she and her mother had feared for so long. "Yes."

"Yes?" Logan looked into her eyes, trying to detect if she was saying _yes_ because it's what she wanted, not just what he wanted her to say.

Rory nodded her head and this time she smiled, "Yes!"

Rory had an overwhelming sense of relief. That simple word did not inspire a moment of dread or fear, the thought of Rory Gilmore marrying Logan Huntzberger just felt right.

Logan in a moment of sheer joy picked Rory up and spun her around the room. Rory laughed placing her arms around his neck to steady herself. "Logan, put me down."

Logan looked up at her, "Not until you say it again."

Rory beamed with joy down at him, "Yes, Logan Huntzberger, I will marry you."

Instead of readying herself to be put down, Rory wrapped her legs around Logan's waist. Suddenly the idea of any space between them seemed just criminal. Rory was thankful that her mother had talked her into buying a skirt with such a high slit up the back; the act of raising her leg bunched the skirt around her thighs.

Logan gave Rory his trademark smirk, "I thought you wanted me to put you down."

Rory shook her head, her hair cascading over her shoulders. "Not anymore." Rory leaned forward and placed the most gentle of kisses on Logan's lips. Rory started to pull back, but Logan weaved his fingers into her hair and held her head in place, he deepened the kiss with a groan. After minutes that felt like hours, Rory pulled back.

"Please tell me that you still have the house with the avocado tree."

Logan laughed and sat down on the bed with Rory still wrapped around him. "Yeah, I still got it, Ace."

Logan failed to mention that he had not set foot in the place since moving to California. He was currently living in an apartment, and the beautiful home that he had picked out for them was sitting vacant in a picturesque, tree-lined street.

"That avocado tree is a real selling point, isn't it?"

"Well, I do like guacamole."

Logan couldn't stop smiling. "So, I guess this means that we're going to be living in California."

"Well, it makes sense, it's where you work."

"Ace, if you don't want to be so far away from your Mom, we can move....."

Rory made a shushing sound and kissed Logan's lips, but the gentle kiss was not enough to distract Logan from his train of thought. "I can find work somewhere else."

Rory started kissing down Logan's neck; she undid the first few buttons of his shirt.

"Ace, I'm serious… it's only work, I can work anywhere." Rory, frustrated that Logan was ignoring her attempts to change the subject, stepped it up a notch. She licked the hollow of his throat.

"Ahhhh." Logan cried out, stretching his throat, giving her more access.

Rory pushed the half-buttoned shirt off Logan's shoulders, trapping his arms in the shirt. She kissed her way along his neck, shoulder and finally she found the very tip of his shoulder, the point just before it turns into his arm and sunk her teeth in. Logan shivered and started to become proactive in the seduction process. He moved his arms still trapped in his shirt, one hand moving to cup her ass and the other moving to her lower back, pulling her blouse free from the skirt.

Rory moved her attention back to Logan's lip, this time the kiss was hungrier, and their lips crashed together, bruising – almost cutting themselves on their teeth. Rory was the first to give in to the kissing war and let Logan slip his tongue into her mouth.

Her nails scraped down Logan's torso and she undid the rest of his shirts buttons. Rory's wondering hands found his belt and with shaking hands she started to undo it. Logan moved his hands to Rory's chest; he started undoing her buttons, exposing her chest an inch at a time. Once all the buttons were undone he leaned down and sucked Rory's nipple through her white lace bra. Rory moaned as she felt Logan's teeth gently bite into her flesh, causing her to redouble her efforts with Logan's pants.

She now had the belt undone and worked the fly open. Logan was wearing a pair of black Jockey boxer-briefs, there was no way she could get his rapidly growing erection out without hurting him, the only option left to her was for her hand to slip through the opening and seek him out. She ran her fingers over his shaft, caressing him. She could feel Logan respond – he grew harder in her hand_._

Logan cried out as Rory's soft, delicate hand gripped him. She didn't have enough room to stroke him, and so she squeezed her hand rhythmically. He wasn't fully hard yet and that was the only reason why she could still grip him under the circumstances. Logan rested his head on Rory's chest, trying to calm himself down. He reached up to take Rory's shirt off, but his arms only made it half way though the motion, he was well and truly tangled in his own shirt now. The absurdity of his position made him laugh.

Rory pulled back and smiled at Logan's predicament, "Would you like some help?"

"That would be appreciated, Ace." With one last squeeze, Rory gently withdrew her hand from Logan's now fully erect cock. She set first one and then the other of Logan's arms free. Logan watched her quietly as she did this, not believing that he was holding her again in his arms.

Rory looked up, "What?"

"Nothing, I'm just happy."

Rory smiled, "Me, too."

Rory leaned in again and captured his lips with her own. She gently pushed her tongue into Logan's mouth, he tasted of coffee, and he tasted like _home_.

Logan slowly laid back on the bed, taking Rory with him, at the same time his hands moved up her back to unclasp her bra, this time he had ease of movement. With a practiced snap of his wrist, Rory's breasts were free of the confining lace.

Logan moved them higher up on the bed, rolling them in the process so that Rory was now on the bottom. Logan kissed his way down her chin and neck, while Rory busied her hands over his back, neck and shoulders, and her fingers weaving though his hair. He paused in his southward journey to lavish attention on Rory's nipples. First attacking one, licking and biting it until Rory was groaning in a mix of pleasure and pain. Then he moved onto the other nipple. Once Logan was satisfied that her nipples were as hard as they were going to get, he continued on his journey down her body – kissing, licking and biting his way down. Once he reached her skirt he moved his hands around until he found the zipper, hidden in the seam that ran down her hip.

Rory lifted her hips, helping Logan undress her. He swept her skirt and underwear off in one smooth motion. Logan removed Rory's shoes, and ran his hands along her legs, reveling in the feeling of her soft, warm skin. When his hands came to her thighs, he pushed them apart and nestled himself down between her legs. He looked up at Rory – she had propped herself up on her elbows, looking down at him. Her face was flushed and her eyes had darkened with lust.

Logan, keeping eye contact, moved closer to Rory's center and with one firm stroke his tongue licked from the base of her folds all the way to the top. First he played with her outer lips, licking back and forth before slipping his tongue between them; he savored her taste, and smiled at the sound of Rory moaning in pleasure. She threw her head back. Logan moved forward again, only this time his movements were slower, he took his time exploring her, playing with her opening, lapping at the juices her body was creating.

Logan waited patently for Rory to make eye contact again, when she looked at him again her eyes were half hooded and her breathing had deepened. Logan brought his hands into play. He used one hand to hold her nether lips apart, giving him full access to her center. He massaged her clit with his tongue, stimulating her nerve endings, while working two of his fingers inside of her slick, warm wetness. His fingers found her G-spot, he flexed them fast and hard over the sensitive spot. Logan was rewarded for his efforts as Rory started groaning louder, her hands roaming all over her body. As her orgasm grew closer, her hands reached down and gripped Logan's head, pulling him closer to her. Logan smiled as Rory started rocking her hips against him; he knew that her orgasm was soon to come. He increased his speed and was rewarded with a loud groan from Rory. She arched her back and cried out his name as she came, her walls inside pulsing, gripping onto Logan's fingers as hard as it possibly could. Logan kept working his fingers and tongue through Rory's orgasm ensuring that it would last as long as possible. He worked her until she was over-sensitive and would jerk every time his tongue made contact with her clit.

"Logan, God, stop! Please, stop!"

Logan drew his hands away, but lazily lapped his tongue over her opening one last time, savoring her taste. He stood and quickly removed the rest of his clothing. Logan made his way back onto the bed, lying beside Rory, sliding his hand over her waist and pulling her flush to his body.

They smiled at each other, "I missed that." Rory sounded relaxed.

"Is that all I am to you, Ace, a sex toy?"

"Oh! No," Rory shook her head, "You're better than that. You are a sex toy that I never have to change the batteries." With that comment Rory reached down and started stroking his cock, this time without clothes restricting her movements.

Her hand brushed over his tip, she used his pre-cum, spreading it over his tip and shaft, her other hand cupped his balls and reached further down to caress the delicate skin behind them. Keeping her hand moving, she leaned in and kissed him, the kiss was slow but deep – Rory could taste herself on Logan's lips.

Logan, not wanting to break the kiss, moved himself between Rory's legs, her hands never losing contact with his erection. He ran his hand down her side, feeling the swell of her breast and then hip. He gripped Rory's leg and pulled it up, wrapping it around his waist. Not needing any further prompting, Rory moved her other leg into the same position, and then, moved her hands from Logan's cock to around his neck. She was satisfied that he was as hard as he was going to get.

Logan arched his back and started driving his hips forward, he shuddered as the resistance of Rory's opening gave way and he slipped inside her warm tight opening. Rory was thankful as always that Logan had taken the time to make her wet and ready for him. It wasn't so much that Logan was long, it was more that he was deliciously thick, stretching her, rubbing her in all the right places.

Once Logan had pushed himself inside Rory as far as he could, he rested his forehead on hers and breathed in deep. He could smell her hair, her sweat, her sex. Now fully lodged inside of her, Logan started moving his hips in a circular motion, grinding into her clit. It wasn't until Rory started whimpering that he started moving in and out of her. His strokes were long and even, on each in stroke he paused and grinded her clit.

Logan was in heaven. He always loved the feeling of being inside Rory after she had had an orgasm and just like always he could feel Rory's spasms rhythmically gripping and holding him tighter, giving him a pleasurable sensation of so much intensity, enveloping him with a sense of completeness, of _home_.

The pair didn't say anything as they moved in time with one another, their breathing steadily increasing. Rory's walls inside started gripping Logan tighter every time he moved out of her body, not wanting to let him go. As Logan felt his need growing he started moving in and out of Rory in a faster pace. Rory matched his movements, bucking her hips in time with his in stroke. Then, after a while, Rory started to lose her rhythm, her breathing becoming erratic. Logan felt the change in her body and knew she was close. He increased his speed and started slamming into her, desperately trying to reach climax at the same time as Rory.

Rory shouted out, "Logan!"

And she came. Logan felt her shuddering under him, the sound of his name and her internal muscles gripping around him sent him over the edge and into bliss. He drove himself hard one final time inside her and ejaculated deep within her.

Logan collapsed on top of her, his breathing still erratic. Rory kept her legs wrapped around him not wanting to lose their closeness. Logan became aware that all of his weight was resting on Rory and started to withdraw himself from the depths of her body. But Rory stopped him when she felt his movement, "Please, can we stay like this a little longer?"

Logan propped his torso up with his arms and brushed the hair from Rory's face, "As long as you want, Ace. But I'm too heavy to stay on top of you."

Rory was about to protest when Logan, finding his last reserve of strength, rolled onto his back, taking Rory with him. Logan could feel their combined juices run down his cock and balls, the sensation sent a shiver up his spine.

Rory looked into Logan's eyes, "I love you, Logan."

"I love you, too, Ace. Don't ever forget that."

"I won't."

Rory kissed Logan again. It was a very soft kiss, almost just a brush of their lips, and then, she rested her head on Logan's chest. His cock was still deeply lodged inside of her. For the first time in weeks she felt warm and safe, and, confident that everything would be okay.


	7. Chapter 7

Their conversation had long since died off. They were now content lying in each other's arms. Rory was resting her head on Logan's chest as she was idly drawing patterns on his chest and stomach with her fingers as their legs were intertwined. Suddenly, Rory sat up and looked down at Logan. "Oh! My god! What about Hugo?"

Logan laughed, "Just as a tip, Ace, no man likes to hear about his fiancée's other lover after just having had make up sex."

Rory slapped Logan's chest, "That's not what I meant and you know it."

Logan pulled Rory back down into his arms. The happy couple settled back into silence again. After a few moments, Rory spoke again, clearly this was not a topic that she could let go off easily. "I feel bad quitting after just a few weeks in the job, but realistically, I can't go from rally to rally, from city to city in a bus for long either."

Logan contemplated the situation for a moment. "Well, why don't you give Hugo your notice and stay on until he finds someone to replace you, or until you can't travel anymore." Logan seriously hoped that it would not come to the latter. He would prefer that they be together sooner rather than later – he really didn't want to miss out on watching Rory's body change during the stages of her pregnancy.

Rory was surprised by Logan's suggestion. She didn't expect him to encourage her to stay on. Part of her wished that he hadn't come up with such a reasonable solution. She would never admit it but if Logan had insisted that she quit her job immediately and join him in California, she would have happily complied. "And, you would be okay with that?"

He was not totally okay with the situation, but he knew that he had to make some compromise so Rory would be happy. "On one condition."

"Which is?"

"You let me upgrade your accommodations." Logan tightened his hold on Rory, knowing that she was going to fight him over this condition.

"Logan, what's wrong with the room that I have?" Rory tried to pull away, but with Logan's tight hold on her there was no way she could move. Instead, she settled to admire the room's décor from his embrace. Rory took in the stylish motel room – from the orange, green, red and yellow bedspread to the beautiful pooh-brown carpet and puce-colored walls.

"The fact that you're sharing it. Think about it, Ace… you said that morning sickness has set in for you, is it really fair to your roommate that she has to live with that?" Logan looked down, he could see Rory mulling over his words. Logan continued to sell the idea, "You can rest at anytime without having to worry about being woken up and if I come to visit, you won't have to bribe any roommates to leave for hours on end. Really, it would be inconsiderate not to accept my offer."

"You sure know how to drive a hard deal, Huntzberger."

Logan smiled triumphantly. "So, does that mean that you will accept?"

"I shouldn't... but I know that it's been hard on Kelly the last few days." Rory, feeling Logan's hold on her loosen, sat up and looked Logan in the eye. "Nothing fancy though, whenever possible I want to stay in the same motel as everyone else." Rory waved her hand at him.

"I promise, Ace, nothing fancy." Logan frowned at the sight of Rory's left hand – her ring finger looked decidedly naked. Logan made his way out of bed. Rory watched him bend over at the foot of the bed.

"Logan, not that I'm not enjoying the view, but what are you doing?"

"I have forgotten something very important." Logan found what he was looking for and came back to bed as Rory watched him. His hand was cupped so that she couldn't see what he was holding. He sat back down on the bed, facing the opposite direction, so that he could look directly at Rory's face. Logan was sitting close enough to Rory that he could feel the heat radiate off her body.

Logan brushed the hair from her face, kissed her lips tenderly and with the utmost of care, took Rory's left hand into his own. It was only then that Logan revealed that he was holding the blue velvet box they had left forgotten on the floor while they made up.

Rory's heartbeat raced once she realized what Logan was going to do. A ring would make everything very official. Her hand started to shake with residual fear as Logan took the ring out of the box. Logan could feel Rory's hand shake in his as he slipped the ring on her finger; he didn't look at her shaking hand but looked into her eyes. He could see a myriad of emotions chase across her face: fear, uncertainty, and then, as he was done slipping the ring securely on her finger, relief.

Logan looked down at the ring which fitted perfectly on her finger. He knew the moment he saw the ring that it was the one for Rory. The platinum ring was a thing of beauty; it wasn't overly large and it was the made up of the finest diamonds available. The round brilliant center diamond, while not as big as many would have expected, looked perfect on Rory's petite hand. Both the crown and the base of the center brilliant-cut diamond were framed by a delicate row of smaller brilliant-cut diamonds. The circle of diamonds framing the base was nestled on top of the band and the band was flawlessly connected to the crown with a row of six, channel-set, small princess-cut diamonds on each side.

Logan looked back up at Rory's face and saw that she was gazing down at the ring. Logan gently stroked Rory's cheek to get her attention. When Rory looked up at Logan, her blue eyes were sparkling with joy. "It's beautiful, Logan."

"What were you thinking when I was putting the ring on your finger?"

Rory looked down at the ring, avoiding Logan's gaze. "I was waiting to feel scared."

Logan swallowed, starting to feel his own fear set in. "And?"

Rory looked back up into Logan's eyes. She had the most brilliant smile on her face. "I felt joy instead."

Logan smiled back; he reached out for her, gathering her into his arms. He kissed her. "I'm glad."

******************

Rory was lying awake in Logan's arms; he had fallen asleep not long after they had last spoken. Rory decided that she should call her Mom, but as yet she had not found the motivation to leave the bed. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was a little over an hour and a half until Kelly would be coming back. Rory really did not want to still be in bed when she returned, so with a deep sigh Rory found herself carefully moving out of bed, not wanting to wake Logan. Once she was free of the sheets, she picked Logan's shirt up from the floor and slipped it on. Rory walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her, closed the lid of the toilet and sat down. Rory's system was washed with nerves as she dialed her mother's phone number.

_"_Dragonfly Inn, Lorelai speaking._"_ Lorelai had her professional voice on, but all the professionalism in the world couldn't hide the fact that Lorelai was tired.

"Hi, Mom. Why did you answer the phone like you were still at the Inn?"

"Because I'm still at the Inn and the way things are going I'm never going to leave the Inn." Lorelai started making her way into the kitchen. She knew that this would be a coffee conversation.

"Why?"

"Because the Smith and Western wedding reception is still going, it's never going to end, I'm going to be ninety and this party will still continue and never wind up because the Smith and Westerns' family members and guests are all whacked out on speed."

"It can't be that bad."

Lorelai walked past a sleeping Sookie, who was sitting on a bar stool at the island bench, her head propped up in her hands.

"Oh! No, it is." Lorelai opened the back door and held her phone out to where the marquee was setup and music could be heard.

Through the wonders of modern technology Rory could clearly hear the sound of a large group of people singing "Y.M.C.A." by the Village People.

"See?"

"No, I don't see. Everyone likes "Y.M.C.A.", a little."

"Yeah, normal people like "Y.M.C.A." in small doses, but this is the like the twentieth time in a row that they have played it."

Sookie's head shoot up from her hands, "Twenty-nine."

Lorelai looked back at Sookie, "What?"

"This is the twenty-ninth time that they have played that darn song in a row."

Rory had heard Sookie loud and clear. "Wow, twenty-nine times that's…" Rory struggled to find the right words to describe people who would listen to "Y.M.C.A." twenty-nine times in a row.

Lorelai decided that she needed to calm herself, so she made her way past Sookie to get a cup of coffee. "They're all crazy as a coconut! Ahhh!" After pouring the coffee and having taken her first sip of the delicious soothing liquid, Lorelai felt herself calm down and looked around and saw that Sookie had fallen back to sleep. "Enough about me, how did things go with Logan?"

"Well, it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. I actually think it was better telling him face to face than over the phone."

"So how did he take the news?"

Rory was unsure how to answer that question, she knew her mother would not be happy with the prospect that she was getting married. Rory decided to err on the side of caution and was elusive and vague for the time being. "It went well, a lot better than I expected."

"Well, that's a relief. I can remember when I told your father… he went white, then green and then vomited for the next hour. Hey, are you sure that he wasn't in shock? The calmness may have just been a façade and there is big freak out building up."

"Well, don't get me wrong, Mom. Logan reacted, he reacted in a big way… just no vomiting was involved." Rory gazed at the ring on her finger again. She had fallen in love with the ring the first time she had seen it. The ring showed how well Logan knew her. It wasn't overly large and flashy, but the sparkle of the diamonds clearly showed to even the most ignorant that the ring was the best that money could buy. She didn't feel scared looking at the ring, she wasn't afraid of the commitment that it represented but felt calm and exhilarated.

Lorelai had a feeling, a _very_ bad feeling, "Oh! No, he asked you to marry him again?"

"How did you know?" Rory was shocked. How on earth did her mother make that jump in logic?

"Come on, kid, Logan was brought up _to do the right thing_." Rory could hear the disdain in her mother's voice as she spoke the phrase "_to_ _do the right thing_."

"Mom, this has nothing to do with the _right thing_."

Lorelai, who was in the middle of taking a sip of coffee, spat it out in surprise. "Oh! My God, Rory! You said _yes_?"

"Mom, stop and listen." Rory knew this reaction was coming. She knew she had to stop the Lorelai juggernaut before it took off.

"The only reason I said no to Logan the first time was because I knew that if I had a husband, I wouldn't take a job like the one I have now. I wasn't ready to give up this kind of opportunity." Rory looked up when she heard the bathroom door open. Logan was standing on the other side wearing nothing but his jocks. Rory smiled and nodded, indicating that he could come in.

"Me moving around is not going to be an option now; I have to think of what's best for me and my condition… our baby. And what's best for me is to be with Logan in Palo Alto." Logan smiled at that, he leaned against the vanity and listened in on the rest of the conversation.

"Rory, getting married is not going to solve anything."

"I know. Mom, this isn't about solving anything. This is what I want. I love Logan. I never stopped loving him and my reason for saying no to him is now irrelevant. And the only reason that we broke up was because Logan behaved like a pouty-ass spoiled douche-bag." Logan scoffed at this insult. '_I am not pouty_,' he thought.

"You can't do this." Lorelai stated. She almost sounded like she was pleading, she sounded like Rory was betraying her.

Rory couldn't believe her mother had said that, she didn't bother to hide the anger in her voice. "Oh! I think I can."

Lorelai heard the anger in Rory's voice and knew she needed to think and rephrase what she just said or she could lose her daughter. "No, I mean I don't want you to do this because I didn't marry your father. I know it was hard for you growing up without him, but if I had married him then it would have been so much harder for us when he walked out. Please trust me on this, babe."

Rory looked down at the floor and spoke softly, all her anger gone, "I know."

Lorelai spoke the truth about her and Christopher; and, Rory knew that her parents marrying when they were sixteen would have been nothing short of a disaster because them marrying in their late thirties had been tumultuous to say the least.

"Mom, I hate to state the obvious, but I'm not you and Logan's not Dad. We both want this and it has nothing to do with me growing up without a Dad. It has everything to do with me growing old without Logan." Logan nodded his head at that. That was his dearest wish in life: to live with Rory and for them to grow old together. "Besides, when Logan asked me to marry him the first time, we didn't even know that I was pregnant."

"Rory, I just don't want you to rush into this. I want you to do this for the right reasons, not because you feel a need to make up for my mistakes."

"I know, Mom, but me saying yes to Logan has nothing to do with the decisions that you have made. I love him. He makes me happy. Being engaged and having a baby makes me happy. I don't know if this will last forever," Rory looked up to see the astounded look on Logan's face.

Logan almost lost his balance on the vanity. _'How could she say yes when she had so little faith in us?'_ Logan thought.

"What I do know is that I _want _this to last forever and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure it does. Mom, this is how my life was supposed to be. It's just happening a few years earlier than I was anticipating." Rory smiled as she saw Logan physically relax.

Lorelai could hear the confidence in her daughter's voice – Rory clearly felt she had made the right decision. "So, when is the wedding?"

"Just like that you jump into when's the wedding?" Rory didn't trust her mother's quick change in topic.

"Well, yeah… Rory, I don't think the timing of this is right, but I don't want to lose you or my grandchild over this. I don't want us to turn out like my parents and me. I love you, kid. I just want what's best for you."

"Are you sure? Mom, I need your support on this." And it was true, no matter how old she was, she would always need her mother's support.

"And, you have it. I'm here for you, Rory, any time you need me, I'll always be here for you."

"Thank you," the words come out as a whisper. Rory was relieved that her mother was going to support her and not use her engagement to drive a wedge between them. There was a pause, both girls reveling in the relief that they would be able to work their way through their difference of opinions in this matter. They did not want to lose each other again.

Lorelai was the first to break the silence, "So, when will the wedding be… do we start planning?"

"Well, we haven't really talked about that yet. There's actually a lot we haven't talked about yet."

"Well, how about you go talk to you fiancé and call me back later."

"Okay, I love you."

"I love you, Rory, and the bump. Say hi to Logan for me." Rory hung up smiling.

Rory just sat there in a comfortable silence with Logan, she was about to say something when her phone rang, looking down she saw it was her Mom.

"What could possibly have happened in the last thirty seconds that you needed to call me back?"

"It just came to me. You have to tell Emily and Richard that you're pregnant and I was wondering if you would let me be there when you tell them. Well, me and a camera crew and a live audience."

'_Oh, let the mocking begin,'_ Rory thought. "Are you finished?"

"Ooo, Ooo, and those guys selling hot dogs and ice-cream at sporting events."

"Good-bye, Mom." In the background Rory heard Sookie shout out: _"Thirty!" _

"We'll call the production… _Rory: The Story of the Fallen Golden Child_." Rory just laughed at that one and hung up the phone. Rory couldn't help but think that Lorelai stuck at the Inn listening to "Y.M.C.A." over and over again was some kind of karmic payback for all the hell she was going to send Rory's way.

Logan was happy to see a smile on Rory's face. He knew that Lorelai's approval meant so much to her. While he wasn't sure how absolute the support had been, the fact that Rory ended the call laughing must be a good sign. "So, I guess we have some figuring out to do."

Rory looked at Logan, nodding her head. "Yep."

Rory and Logan had made their way back to bed. They were sitting up snuggled in sheets. Logan was drinking a cup of terrible instant coffee and Rory was sipping on a bottle of O.J.

"Let's elope."

"But I want my Mom and Lane there. And you'll want Honor, and what about Colin and Finn? Ooo, Ooo… and Sookie and my Dad and GiGi?"

"Okay, okay. I get it, eloping is not a good idea. Maybe just a small wedding then, we could have it at the Dragonfly."

Rory smiled, "That would be nice."

Rory fidgeted with the sheet, there was something she wanted to bring up, but she was nervous about how Logan would react. "What about your parents?"

"What about them?"

"You'll need to invite them."

"No." Logan made the _no_ sound very final.

"No, listen to me, Logan… if you guys fix things down the road, this will always be something that you'll regret, that they weren't there."

"Ace, I can't think of one happy occasion or event with them involved. And I want to remember our wedding as one of the happiest days, if not the happiest, in my life."

"Please, Logan, for me."

Logan turned his body to an angle so that he could look at her better. "Why is it so important to you?"

"I have watched my Mom and Grandparents trip over one another for years, each leaving the other out of stuff and then regretting it later. In the end I was the one who missed out on a closer relationship with my grandparents and that is the biggest regret of all. We have to give them the chance. If they screw up, well, then it's their fault, not ours."

Logan hated to admit it but he could see the logic of what Rory was saying. "Well, I've always been a fan of blaming my parents."

Rory took Logan's hand in hers. "Me, too. And I think we should set some rules, about us and the baby."

Logan knowing Rory's love for rules and lists was grateful for the change in topic. "Okay."

"First, no nannies, not even when I go back to work. I know it was the way you were brought up and you turned out okay."

Logan smirked, "_Okay_, I'm just _okay_?"

Rory ignored the comment, "I want us to raise our child, not someone else. I don't want us to miss anything."

Logan squeezed Rory's hand. "I don't want to miss anything either, Ace. I personally loved the fact that I had a nanny growing up… it meant less time with my parents. But I'm planning on having our kids actually liking us, so I agree with the first rule. No nannies."

"Second rule, I want to work, but I promise to just work freelance and primarily from home until our child starts school."

Logan, with the memory of the phone messages that Rory had left him still fresh in his mind, was afraid that she would regret giving up so much of her dream for him and their child. He didn't want her to feel deprived of her dream in years to come and blame it on him.

"Ace, I don't want you to give up your dream."

"I'm not… the work dream is just being put to the side temporarily while I bring forward the happy family dream. And besides, I'm going to keep writing."

"And, I want you to."

"Okay, so we agree that I will not work full time until our child starts school."

Logan shook his head, "No, I don't agree with that."

"But..."

"No, I would like to make some amendments to it. Only one of us can work full time until our _youngest_ child starts school." Rory contemplated the changes. The changes implied that Logan would consider being a stay-at-home dad and that the baby they were having would not be their only child. Rory liked the sound of that.

Rory smiled, "Agreed. Third, we have to talk no matter what. All major news must be shared and discussed. You will know what is major by how loudly Jiminy Cricket is singing in your head."

"Gotcha."

Rory shifted so she was sitting cross legged beside Logan; she looked him in the eye. "No, Logan, I need more than a _gotcha_. This means no running away to Vegas. No keeping from me major business stuff. No walking away and just giving up. We have to talk if this is going to work. This rule applies equally to me… there would be no freezing you out when you have done something stupid. We talk no matter what."

"Rory, you can stop. I agree."

"Well, good."

There was another break in the conversation.

"Okay… so, now that eloping is out of the question, when do you want to do this?" Logan was hoping that the answer will be soon.

"I was thinking after the baby is born. I don't see the point in rushing to get married."

Logan was surprised by this; he thought that Rory would want to get married right away. "I don't know… I thought it would be nice to do it sooner than that."

Rory heard her phone buzz indicating that she had received a text message. She ignored it, having decided that her conversation with Logan was more important. "We could, but think about it… if we do it now, not only am I going to be very pregnant and moving into a new home, but I'm also going to be planning and organizing a wedding and by the time everything is set and done, I'm going to be the size of a blimp. But if we wait, we'll be settled in the house. And, you will have actually been at your job long enough to have a paid vacation leave. I won't be huge and I might actually enjoy the day and the wedding night."

Logan smirked, "The wedding night… is that all you're thinking of."

"Well, it's not _all_ I'm thinking of, but it is a big part of it."

"So, what do we do for now?"

"Well, the bus leaves in..." Rory reached back and picked up her phone, looking down at the time displayed on the screen. "Just over four hours. I guess I'll get on the bus and go. I need to call Hugo and let him know what's happening. And I need to go home, sometime. I want to see my Mom." Rory stopped reciting her to-do list when she remembered that she had received a text message. She opened her phone and read the message. "Hey, we don't have to worry about Kelly coming back anytime soon. She hooked up with Tim from the _Tribune_."

Logan had settled himself more comfortably in bed once he found out that he would not be getting his marching orders. He watched as Rory put her phone away, he pulled her back into his arms. "There is a couple of day-off coming up, isn't there?"

"Yeah, it starts on Thursday. Why?"

"Well, you could fly home and I'll meet you there. This way you can see your Mom and we could tell the rest of our families as well." Rory physically shuddered at the idea of telling her grandparents, let alone Logan's family. Logan could feel Rory's shudder, as he pulled her onto his lap with her legs straddling him. He wrapped his arms around her back, holding her close.

"Come on, Ace, we might as well get it all over and done with, together. The longer we put it off the harder it's going to get."

"I know. It's just that I never planned on having this particular conversation: '_Hi Grandma, Grandpa. You know how you have always said I'm just like my mother? Well guess what? Just like her I'm having a baby unplanned and out of wedlock.' _They're going to be so proud of me."

"Look, Rory, I know that the reactions are not going to be great, but we're in this together. Regardless of what anyone says our baby is going to be loved."

"I know, but love isn't the issue."

"Then what is?"

"Disappointment." Logan gave Rory a skeptical look. "No, seriously, Logan, my grandparents were so disappointed with my Mom that they never got over it. It's still driving a wedge between them to this day. They think Mom could have done so much more, if she hadn't had me."

"That's ridiculous… can't they see how amazing your Mom is?" Logan was shocked that anyone could be disappointed with Lorelai. She was nothing short of incredible and Logan hoped that if he could be half as good a parent Lorelai was then his kids would actually like him.

"And, my paternal grandparents hated me. They blamed me and my Mom for my Dad not being everything that they wanted him to be."

"Ace, I'm sure they didn't hate you."

"Oh! No, they did. They never even wanted me. Straub, that's Dad's father… I only met him once that I can remember and he hated me and made his feelings known. As for Francine, I've meet her a few times and in those few times, she physically flinched. She flinched whenever I entered the room where she was… it's like she is wearing one of those dog collar thingies and she gets an electric shock every time I'm around."

Rory started to cry. She very rarely thought about the circumstances of her conception and the surrounding controversy, but with a baby on the way, it was hard for her not to draw comparisons. Her greatest fear was that their families would feel so disappointed in her that they would hate her and Logan, and in turn, their baby would be treated like the plague. Rory wanted nothing more in the world than to know and be assured that her baby would be loved.

"Rory, look at me." Logan lifted her chin so she was looking him in the eye. "I am going to do everything in my power to make sure that our child would always feel loved. As for disappointment, our families have nothing to be disappointed about. We are still going to achieve everything that we have set out to do in our lives. This baby does not change any of that, the only thing this baby changes is the schedule in achieving our goals. You will still be an international correspondent or newscaster or whatever the hell you want to be. When the time comes, I'll support you in that. I will always support you."

"And, what about you?"

"Rory, I already have everything I want, just a little sooner than I was planning. I love you and I want a family with you. I would never have asked you to marry me if I hadn't. The family part is just happening a little sooner than expected, but the having you part is right on schedule." Logan held Rory tightly until he felt her calm down. "I love you, Ace, don't ever forget that."

Logan suddenly felt weary beyond his years, the stress of the past few hours and the pain of the last few weeks final caught up with him. He wanted nothing more in that moment than to fall asleep with Rory held tightly in his arms. Logan motioned for Rory to settle into bed with him. As her comforting weight settled into his arms, Logan made a small sigh of contentment.

Logan was just about to sleep when Rory shifted in his arms. She spoke, her voice heavy with impending sleep. "I should probably make an appointment with a doctor before we tell our families, just to make sure that everything is okay."

Logan _hmmed_ in agreement and kissed the back of her head. But for Logan, he didn't need a doctor to tell him that everything was okay. He already knew that because he had Rory by his side, his life was going to be more than okay… it was going to be amazing.


	8. Chapter 8

Logan had been trying since early morning to get a hold of Honor. He desperately wanted his sister to be the first in his family to know the news. When he finally reached her, Honor's reaction to what he told her was not what he was hoping for. He had been a little hurt at first that Honor seemed a bit indifferent to the news and because of the unenthusiastic response by Honor, Logan wanted to end the call. But before he was able to do so, she asked, "Logan, is this what you really want?"

"Yeah, Honor. Rory makes me happy."

Honor was not pleased with this answer. Logan had been anything but happy the past few weeks all because of Rory. "But how can you forgive her so quickly after she dumped you?"

"Honor, she didn't dump me."

"That's not what the D.A.R. ladies told me."

Logan wasn't surprised that his disastrous first proposal was the subject of gossip among the D.A.R. "Since when has the D.A.R. been the most reliable source of information?"

"So, it's not true that she turned down your proposal in public?"

"No, that's true."

"So, they were right." Honor really wished her brother would stop defending Rory. "Rory dumped you and then only came crawling back when she found out she was pregnant. And you just took her back like some kind of schmuck."

Logan was so frustrated. Why couldn't Honor just be happy for him? "Honor, I'm not a schmuck and, for the last time, Rory didn't dump me. I walked away."

"Okay, Logan, you have to fill in the blanks for me."

Logan had been dreading this – he knew he was the one who forced the break up. "Rory saying no cut me so deep. I kept pushing, thinking that she would say yes and it backfired."

Honor had a feeling that Logan was being deliberately obtuse. "What do you mean you pushed her?"

Logan knew that he hadn't handled the rejection of his proposal well; he had been hoping to tell as few people as possible what actually happened. "I told her all or nothing."

"Logan, I still don't get it."

It seemed that Honor would not be satisfied with anything short of the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help him God. "When Rory said no, she said that she wanted to do the long-distance thing. I told her that it was marriage or nothing. She chose nothing."

"Oh! God, Logan," Honor's voice softened as she realized how her brother's master plan backfired and why he walked away. "You walked away to save face. You idiot."

"I know." Logan really didn't need his sister to call him an idiot; he knew he had been one. It had taken him a couple of days to figure it out after he and Rory had broken up. Logan was incredibly thankful about Rory's pregnancy; otherwise, he may never have gotten over himself enough to repair the damage that he had caused.

"Logan, are you sure that getting married is the right thing to do. Are you sure that Rory is sure? Are you sure that she's not doing this just because she's scared."

"Honor, I'm sure about this… I love her… it was my fault we broke up. I didn't really give her any other option."

"Tell me, did she ask you to marry her when she told you about the baby?"

"No, Rory didn't even bring marriage up. I did."

"Are you sure that she didn't imply it in someway?"

"Honor, I'm sure, okay. She hadn't even brought the subject up. I asked her."

Honor still felt some misgivings about Logan's engagement but, as Logan's only sibling, it was her role to be supportive. Logan would get enough disapproval from their parents. "Logan, I just want you to be happy." Honor also knew that she needed to end their conversation on a positive note and regardless of her concerns about Logan and Rory's upcoming nuptials, she focused on the positives. "Oh! My god, I'm going to be an Aunt!"

Logan smiled when he heard his sister's bubbly declaration – it was nice to have someone in his corner.

"When's the due date?"

"Not sure yet, Rory will be seeing a doctor when we're in Hartford."

"We just have to catch up on Friday… you can tell me all about the doctor's appointment. I can come and meet you in Stars Hollow… I've always wanted to go there."

"Okay, I'll talk to Rory and arrange a time."

"Okay, talk to you later. Bye, Logan."

After his conversation with Honor, Logan had trouble focusing on his work. He knew that Honor had meant well but if her reaction was just a prelude to how his parents would react he couldn't help but dread Thursday night when he would be telling his parents the news.

******************

Logan was typing away furiously at his computer, he finally had been able to let go of his conversation with Honor long enough to get to work. His day away from the office had left an unexpected amount of work for him to catch up on, and if he planned to join Rory in Connecticut he just had to knuckle down and get some work done.

Logan's cell phone rang, he answered without even looking at his caller ID. "Logan Huntzberger."

Rory smiled at the sound of his voice. "Hey, Logan."

"Hey, Ace! I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon." Rory didn't miss the excitement in his voice. It had only been a few hours since they had spoken but the distance between them made it seem much longer.

"Well, I just had to tell you about my room. It seems that I have been given the honeymoon suite of the Rose Petal Motel, complete with a vibrating heart-shaped bed and fresh flowers occupying nearly every flat surface." Rory looked around the room, admiring the mixed bouquets sitting everywhere – there were enough flowers that there wasn't even the faintest whiff of the typical motel smell in the air.

Logan finished the line he was typing and wheeled away from his desk. "What can I say, it was the only room left in the motel. I could have booked you a room at the Marriott. As for the flowers, I recall you saying that the typical motel room smell was making you sick."

Rory did not want to be staying in the Marriott; she was trying to keep her pregnancy and her relationship with Logan under wraps. If she were to suddenly start staying at four or five star hotels it was sure to make a bus full of reporters curious. Not that they weren't curious already. Some of the journalists who had seen Rory and Logan together swore that they had recognized him. But Rory, with Kelly's help, had managed to convince them that it hadn't been Logan Huntzberger they had seen with her. Kelly had complained that covering for Rory would have been a lot easier if Rory had taken off her engagement ring. Rory asked Kelly if she would have taken the ring off if she was in Rory's situation and Kelly had simply looked at the stunning ring and replied:_ "Hell no!" _After this confession, Kelly left the subject alone.

Rory doubted that the suite was the last room left in the motel. In fact, she was almost certain that it was the most expensive and luxurious room that had been available. It's not that Rory didn't appreciate how generous and thoughtful Logan was, but she really didn't need anything more than a clean room to herself. Logan was stretching the terms of their agreement and she knew that he was enjoying it.

"No, no, the room is fine. And, thank you for the flowers… they're beautiful. But, this room does mean that you broke your promise to me about not booking anything fancy." Rory put on her best coy voice.

"Ace, I looked at pictures of that room on the net. It is many things: overdone, tacky or even vulgar. Other than you, there is absolutely nothing in that room that qualifies as fancy."

Rory sat down on the bed and almost slipped off because of the shiny fabric of the bed cover. As Rory recovered, she moved herself further into the middle of the bed, safely away from the edge. She was grateful for the first time since leaving Logan that he couldn't see her. He would have found her Kramer moment hilarious.

Rory fingered the red bedspread. "Are you saying that these sheets are not the finest, fanciest polyester sheets available?"

"No, Ace, not at all. I'm sure that they are the finest among the cheapest, nastiest sheets available in the market."

Rory laughed. "Do you want to know the scary thing about this room?... It's not the first time that I have been here."

"What!" Logan knew that they had entering into a game of banter. He had missed the fun that came with just conversing with Rory. "Ace, you never told me that you had been on a honeymoon before."

"Oh! Yes, it was with my first husband Spike Thomson." Rory sounded wistful.

"So, is that where you got a taste for newspaper men? _The Junior Gazette_?"

Rory answered in mock seriousness, "Oh! Yes, my fetish started at a young age."

"I'm heart broken. I can't believe that you're using me for my newspaper connections."

"What can I say… fish and chips just don't taste the same if not wrapped in a Huntzberger newspaper." Logan laughed, he could remember the day that Rory had dragged him all over London until they found a fish and chip place that wrapped its chips in a Huntzberger newspaper. It had been one of the longest days of his life but he wouldn't trade the memory for anything.

"Besides," Rory said, "I don't know why you're so shocked. I thought that I made my intentions very clear from the start."

"Yes, you did and I tried to warn you that the _no strings_ thing between us wouldn't work."

"If you recall, I'm the one who said let's go back to being friends. You were the one who said let's have strings. And those strings have evolved into cables."

Logan smirked at the analogy. It was perfect for them. He still couldn't believe that he had been so naive as to think that things could have been kept simple between them. "What can I say, I was a little slow in figuring out you were the one I wanted."

"Well, I had my slow moments as well." Rory looked down at the engagement ring that now adorned her finger. She watched it sparkle in the sunlight that shone through the cheap lace curtains. She was still waiting for doubt or fear to set in, but as yet, Rory felt nothing but calmness about the situation. In fact, as much as she loved working for Hugo, she couldn't wait till she moved to Palo Alto.

"But, we got there in the end, Ace, that's all that matters. Speaking of getting there… I've talked to Honor. She wants to meet us in Stars Hollow on Friday. How about around lunch time?"

"Sure, no problem, we can go to Luke's."

Logan felt a little guilty about leaving out so much of his conversation with Honor. It's not that Honor had been negative; it was more that she made her reservations about the engagement known. Logan knew that he and Rory would be facing enough negativity from his parents. The less Rory knew about people's disapproval the better. He didn't want other people's doubts to affect her feelings.

"Well, I'd better let you go. I'm sure you have a ton of work to do." Rory couldn't help but feel a little sad. She really wished she was in California.

"Don't worry about my work. Have you spoken with Hugo yet?"

"I have." Logan didn't miss the disappointment in Rory's voice. "He was great. He was disappointed at first. He said that he was really impressed with my work so far. But he said that he understood once I explained the situation. He asked me to pass on his congratulation to you _Daddy._" Both Rory and Logan smiled at that title. "He asked me to stay on until he can find a replacement… he's hoping just a few weeks."

"Well, at least that's worked out."

"Speaking of working out, I've made a Thursday afternoon appointment with a doctor in Hartford." For Rory, the call to make an appointment was possibly the scariest phone call of all. The appointment just made the baby all the more real and as much fun it was calling Logan _Daddy_, Rory found the prospect of her being a _Mommy_ very daunting.

"Gee, when I said let's get it all over and done with in one day you really took it to heart."

"Well, you know me, being very efficient has always been a fault."

"It's not a fault… it's one of your annoyingly cute traits." There was a knock on Logan's office door and Jacob, one of his business partners, walked in and dropped a large stack of file folders on Logan's desk with an audible _thump._

"What was that?"

"That was the sound of my workload doubling."

"Well, in that case I'd better let you go."

"Okay, I'll talk to you later. I love you, Ace."

"I love you, too." Rory was about to hang up when she heard Logan call out her name. "What?"

"What was the real reason that you stayed in the honeymoon suite before?"

Rory laughed, "My Mom and I went on a road trip to see the world's largest Twinkie."

Logan laughed at her reply. It was definitely something that Rory and her mother would do.

"Hey, don't laugh… it was that big of an attraction that this was the only room left available. We had so much fun that night… we raced skittles across the vibrating bed." Logan just kept laughing. "Well, since you only seem to be able to make fun of me, I'm hanging up now. Bye."

Rory ended the call with a smile on her face.


	9. Chapter 9

Rory felt sick as she disembarked from the plane and for once it had nothing to do with morning sickness. She was incredibly nervous about seeing Logan, or rather not seeing him. She was petrified that once she got through the secured gates, Logan would not be out there waiting for her. That he had abandoned her, despite all the promises he had made.

As she rounded the corner and the waiting crowd in the Arrivals area came into view, her fears were instantly quelled. Because standing by the roped area in all his glory was the one and only Logan Huntzberger. Rory didn't run to him, feeling that the move was just a little too cliché, but her pace did quicken to match her rapidly beating heart. Without breaking her stride, Rory dropped her luggage at her feet and then threw herself into his arms. Logan held her tight; he breathed in deeply the smell of her hair and her skin.

"I love you." Rory spoke with her face buried in Logan's neck, but he could still hear the emotion in her words – she almost sounded relieved. Logan didn't quite understand the emotion. He expected her to sound happy instead she sounded more like a puppy that had expected to be hit but instead got a cuddle and a bone.

"I love you, too, Ace." Logan responded to Rory's declaration and held her tighter. He was desperately trying to convey with his body as well as his words just how much she meant to him. Logan looked up from their embrace when he felt someone brushed past them. He glanced around and saw that their emotional reunion was blocking the way of the flow of people. They were getting angry glares from security, making it clear to Logan that if they didn't move themselves out of the way soon, security would. With one final squeeze, Logan stepped back and collected Rory's stuff from the floor. He took her hand in his and led her out from the airport into the morning Hartford sunlight.

Rory and Logan then spent the morning together just enjoying being in each other's presence again. Logan caught Rory up on his new job and Rory filled Logan in how life was on the campaign trail. For the most part, they avoided discussing anything significant or important. The few times that Logan had tried to bring up anything serious, Rory had quickly changed the subject.

It was almost a relief for Logan when it was time to go to the doctor's because, for sure, Rory wouldn't be able to avoid the seriousness and importance of the appointment. It had been confirmed that they were indeed going to be parents. While the news was not unexpected, it was a relief to have the cloud of doubt that had been hanging over them dissipate. They had given the doctor their full attention during the appointment until the ultrasound machine was used on Rory's tummy. The doctor insisted that the collection of tiny dots that looked like a blob was in fact their child. Rory and Logan had both agreed that the image resembled something out of a _Magic Eye_ book.

Despite the strange vibe that Rory had been giving off all day, the pair had been all smiles since the doctor's appointment. From the doctor's office they made their way to Bushnell Park. Their afternoon at the park had been fun and relaxing, Rory had even convinced Logan to ride the carousel with her. The day had been almost perfect despite the torrential rain that had chased them out of the park.

The joy, however, evaporated as they pulled up in front of the Huntzberger estate. Logan turned off the ignition; the only sound was that of the heavy rain falling around them. The pitter-patter of the rain on the car's roof was almost soothing to the now stressed couple.

Rory craned her neck and looked up to the roofline of the house, "Woooow." Logan, who had been absorbed in his own thoughts, was startled when Rory broke the silence.

"What?" Logan looked at her curiously and then up at the roof, trying to find something that was _wow_ worthy.

"Is it just me or did the house just grow?"

"No, I think, you'll find that we just shrunk."

"Ooo, Ooo," Rory bounced up and down in her seat. "Does that mean that we can make an escape on giant ants if we need to?"

"Ace, I've been trying to escape this house for the last twenty five years. I have yet to be successful. I doubt that Wayne Szalinski will be able to help us."

Rory took Logan's hand, she knew it wasn't really a time to joke but she was hoping to lighten the mood just a little bit. "But it was a nice thought."

"Yeah, Ace, it was nice." Logan smiled at her one last time before getting out of the car; he opened an umbrella and guided Rory out from the passenger side, escorting her to their collective doom.

Logan hadn't exaggerated when he said he had spent his whole life trying to escape from the Huntzberger house. Logan had made up his mind when he had quit from the family business that he would not go back there until he had made a success of himself. Not to prove anything to his family but to prove something to himself. Logan was determined that he would not return home until he had proven to himself that he belonged there, that he had earned his place in the business world and not because of who his parents were.

Logan had tried desperately to sway Rory from telling his family the news in person, or at least for him to do it alone. All his arguments and bribes had been in vain – he could not change Rory's mind on the matter. He understood her reasons for wanting a closer family, but this was a happy time for Logan and nothing joyous had ever resulted from his parent's involvement in his life.

Logan's blood pressure instantly went up as he entered the family home; Logan held Rory's hand tighter as if looking for strength to help him face what was to come. He knew that nothing good would come out of the discussion ahead.

They were greeted at the door by one of the many maids; she collected their coats while another maid led them into the formal sitting room. It was really a little warm to be wearing coats but the rain was so heavy that they had been left with little choice.

This time Rory did not stop to admire the opulent interior of the Huntzberger home, this time she saw the house for what it actually was – a fortress of ice.

"Logan, how good to see you." Shira got up out of her chair and made her way over to the couple as she hugged Logan.

Shira stepped back from her son and gave Rory a glance over, "Rory." The way Shira had said _Rory_ made it very obvious that she was not impressed to see Rory with Logan.

"Hi, Shira," Rory attempted to make her voice sound as strong and sure as she could. Rory didn't want Shira and Mitchum to know just how much she disliked them. She made a glimpse around and was thankful to see that Elias, Logan's grandfather was not present. That was one less pressure they had to deal with.

Mitchum greeted the couple but stayed in his chair, a glass of scotch by his side. He watched Logan and Rory with a keen eye, trying to discern the reason for their surprise visit. He was taken aback, upon looking at Rory's left hand, to find no ring adoring her finger. His gut told him that Logan had come home to tell them of his impending marriage.

"Would you like a drink?" Shira, not sparing a second glance at Rory, directed the question at Logan.

Logan answered, "No, thank you, we can't stay long." Shira's eyes flicked to Rory, giving her a disapproving look.

Rory wondered what she had done to earn the looks she was getting from Shira. Last time she heard, the elder Huntzbergers had been singing her praises because she had supposedly inspired Logan to change for the better.

Logan guided Rory to the antique three-seater couch across from where Mitchum and Shira were sitting. The room was silent; everyone was waiting for the other person to say something.

"Well, I don't see the point in prolonging this moment." Logan knew that the only way to relay the news would be to do it quickly and, knowing his parents, the news would not go down well.

"Mom, Dad… Rory and I are engaged," Logan started with the news that he figured that his parents would find less shocking. His mother and sister had been inquiring when he would be asking Rory to marry him for quite some time; surely, they would find this news inevitable. Then Logan gripped Rory's hand not only for support but also as a sign of unity. "And we're expecting a baby."

The room became so quiet that for an instant it felt like it was empty. Logan started to question if his band-aid method of telling his parents his happy news had been the correct one.

Mitchum slammed his drink down on the table next to him causing the amber liquid to spill out.

"God! Damn it, Logan!" his booming voice filled the silence. He rose out of his chair and strode over to the seated couple. He stopped moving when he was standing at an intimidating proximity. "What did I tell you about being careful always?" Mitchum saw a moment of hurt flashed through Logan's eyes before hate had taken over.

Logan let go of Rory's hand and stood before his father, placing himself physically in front of the man, trying to shield Rory from him and their confrontation as best as he could. "Oh! You made it perfectly clear that I was not to father any bastard children who would sully the family name and image. And since I'm marrying Rory, you don't have to worry about that!"

Mitchum was shocked at the hate that blazed in his son's eyes. Whenever they fought in the past it was always with fire but Mitchum was always clearly the dominant of the two. This time something was different in Logan. Mitchum could see no doubt or fear of intimidation which was usually present in his son's eyes when they fought. Instead, there was a fierce determination burning in Logan's eyes. For the first time, Logan stood before him not as a boy but as a man. The man that Mitchum knew his son could be, would be – the man that he had very briefly saw when Logan resigned. Mitchum took in Logan's stance in front of Rory, shielding her from the confrontation ahead. His son had finally grown up.

Mitchum took the time to scrutinize Rory. He didn't know what he expected to see, it certainly wasn't the look of love in her eyes as she looked up at Logan. She looked at his son like she had total and complete faith in him – that he would protect her and would never let her down. There was no look of triumph that he would have expected if the girl had gotten pregnant deliberately. Not that it was a tactic that he would have expected from Rory. She wasn't the type who would get pregnant for money, considering her own conception and the surrounding turmoil. However, Mitchum had anticipated finding something insincere about her. Something that would indicate that she was with his son purely out of fear of raising a child out of wedlock, after all, it was just a few short weeks ago that she had very publicly turned down Logan's marriage proposal.

To Mitchum, it appeared that the only doubts in the room regarding Logan and Rory's relationship were in fact coming from himself and Shira. He knew that he was not dealing with his son's misguided sense of responsibility. His son was doing exactly what he wanted and that was proven by the look of hurt that had flashed through Logan's eyes when Mitchum had voiced his disapproval. His son had fallen in love with Rory Gilmore and she was the one thing in his life that Logan would never compromise on. It was then that the true gravity of the situation dawned on Mitchum. How he and Shira would react to the situation in front of them would be of great consequence. It would affect their relationship with their son for the rest of their lives.

Mitchum softened his voice, "Logan. That's not what I meant."

"Then, what did you mean?" Logan calmed his voice down, he did not want a yelling match with his father, but his body language still screamed that he was ready for a confrontation.

Mitchum stood there and, for the first time in his life, he had no idea what to say. He knew that Logan came to share good news and yet Logan had come also ready for a confrontation. Mitchum was wise enough to recognize that it was sad that his son felt the need to be ready to fight his parents over something very important to him.

Mitchum took too long to reply, so Logan filled the silence, "That's just what I thought. If you're not telling me what a disappointment I am, you have nothing to say."

Mitchum couldn't help but go on the defensive. "Come on, Logan, cut me some slack. This is the first time that we see you in months and you give us news like this! How do you expect us to react?"

"Like you give a damn!" Logan's voice thundered through the room.

Mitchum backed up a step or two, trying to be less aggressive in his stance. "Logan, I do give a damn. I'm sorry, son, if we're in shock and don't know how to react. No parent knows how to react in these situations."

"Why can't you react like Rory's Mom? When she was told, within minutes she was trying out names she would like her grandchild to call her."

Shira, who had been quietly seething during the heated verbal exchange between father and son, contained her emotions, hoping that some reason could be found in all of what was happening. "Logan, Rory's Mom is hardly a good example of how a parent should react."

Logan then turned to his Mother. Shira was shocked by the rage that radiated off his eyes. "Really, I think she is a perfect example. She had been in our situation, only she was a hell of a lot younger."

Shira's self-control broke at her son's outburst. She could not believe how Rory, who was a trollop in Shira's mind, had manipulated her son like _that. _First, Rory publicly humiliated her son by turning down his proposal and then came crawling back because she was pregnant. And, in turn, pitting Logan against his own family. Shira felt her son deserved more than that.

"Yes, and look at what she taught her daughter… that a baby is a quick way to a meal ticket."

Rory was flabbergasted at the statement. Logan's family had been nothing but a nuisance in her relationship with Logan. All the money in world would not be able to compensate what they had put her through. If Rory hadn't loved Logan, she would have walked away from him and his family. Her life would have been so much simpler if she did not love him.

Logan scoffed at his mother, he was speechless.

Shira, who enjoyed the silence her ordinance had given her, continued on. "I tried to tell you, Logan, she was nothing but a gold digger wanting to advance her career." Shira had been so angry when the gossip had reached her that Rory had turned down Logan's proposal. Then, when she found out Rory had gotten a job because of a connection she had made through Logan, she had convinced herself that Rory had only been with her son to benefit her career.

In a way, Shira had felt just as betrayed as Logan when she had found out Rory had turned down his proposal. While Shira hadn't exactly fallen in love with Rory, she, like Mitchum, believed Rory was responsible for Logan maturing. In the time her son had been with Rory, his grades had improved at school, he wrote more articles for the newspaper, his trouble-making escapades decreased and up until recently he had excelled in the business world. Rory had single-handedly achieved in less than three years what Mitchum and Shira had been trying to do throughout Logan's entire life.

Mitchum looked at his wife in disbelief, "For heaven's sake, Shira! Can't you see it's not that simple? The fools actually love each other." Mitchum couldn't believe his wife was blind to this fact.

"I'm sick of this." Logan was not surprised at his father's outburst. Mitchum had always had a talent for grasping a situation quickly. Logan did disagree with his father's outburst – he was not a fool for falling in love. It was the best thing that had and would ever happen in his life. "Come on, Rory, we're leaving."

For the first time since the yelling match had started, Logan looked down at Rory and the look she gave him broke his heart. He had only seen Rory's particular facial expression once before in his life and it had been the night they had stolen a boat together. He hated the fact that his family was the cause of that particular look both times.

"Logan, don't let her manipulate you like this! Surely, you know that she's just using you; why else would she accept your proposal this time around? For heaven's sake! Are you even sure that the child is yours?"

"Enough, Shira." Mitchum didn't sound angry as he spoke to his wife, he sounded sad. He could not believe that his family had become so consumed by anger and hurt.

Logan watched as a new wave of tears fell down Rory's face. Logan looked back at his mother. He was sickened by what was happening, by what was being said. Shira knew exactly what to say to cause the most hurt. Logan reached down and took Rory's hand in his and helped her to her feet. He moved his gaze from one parent to the other and gave each of them unwavering eye contact.

"I'm sure this child is mine because I'm sure of Rory. The only people in this room who have ever used me are you and Dad. I make the choices in my life now, not you. I love Rory and I will marry her with or without your approval."

Logan was about to leave, but he wanted to see the look on his mother's face when she realized that had it not been for Rory he wouldn't be there at all. "God, the only reason I even came here today was because Rory asked me to. If it had been up to me, I would have let you read it in the newspaper." He was satisfied to see his mother's look of hurt at his statement. Logan wrapped his arm around Rory's waist and started walking towards the front door.

Mitchum felt great sorrow at Logan's words. He had never used his son; all he ever wanted was what was best for him. Mitchum watched his son exit, his heart heavy with regret. He knew he was responsible for much of what Logan felt, but Shira had been the one who turned the night into something truly horrible, he turned to his wife. "Fix it."

"What?" Shira didn't understand where the anger in her husband was coming from.

"Our son is about to walk out of this house for the last time if we don't do something. He has never hated us before, but what you said just pushed him over the line and into hate. You broke it, you fix it." Mitchum glared at his wife and watched as the words he spoke began to sink in. If they did nothing to rectify and mend the damage done by the harsh words, not only would their son never speak to them but they would also miss out on their grandchild's life as well.

Shira moved to the foyer as fast as her Manolo Blahnik's could take her. She paused in the doorway for a moment and watched as her son helped Rory into her coat.

Once he was done, Logan looked Rory in the eye and wiped the tears from her face. Without breaking eye contact, Rory softly stated, "I swear, Logan, this baby is yours."

"Shhh, I know, Rory. You don't have to tell me that. What they said, it means nothing. You mean everything to me, Ace. I love you." Logan leaned forward and cupped her face in his hands and placed the most gentle of kisses on her lips.

Shira watched as Logan drew back and wiped the new wave of tears from Rory's face. Shira had never seen her son act so tender with anyone, she hadn't heard the phrase '_I love_ _you'_ pass from Logan's lips in her presence since he was a small child.

It wasn't until she witnessed how the couple interacted when alone that she understood what her husband had said, there was no doubt that they were in love. Logan looked at Rory the same way Mitchum used to look at her.

Shira spoke out and broke the moment, "Is that true?"

The couple jumped at the sound of Shira's voice.

Logan moved in front of Rory again, "Is what true?" The hatred in Logan's voice almost scalded Shira. She realized Mitchum was right, her son hated them and she didn't know how to set right what she had caused.

Logan was her son, she loved him and she wanted him to be happy. The fact that he had found happiness with a girl she didn't approve of wasn't his issue but her own. If he had found a way to deal with the hurt that Rory had caused him then she should be able to as well. In her anger, Shira had forgotten all the positive changes Rory had inspired in her son and she had spoken out of spite.

"What you said… that the only reason that you were here was because of Rory?"

Logan nodded, "It's true."

"Why?"

At first Logan thought that it was a strange question. His mother knew that he didn't share details about his personal life with his family, particularly considering their history on how they have treated Rory. Then, he realized that the question was not aimed at him, but at Rory.

Rory was just as surprised as Logan that the question was aimed at her, making this one of the few times Shira had spoken to her directly. "Because I missed out on knowing my grandparents for a very long time. Whatever issues we have, they shouldn't be our child's."

Shira was caught off guard by the sound of Rory's voice as it reverberated through the marble-tiled hall. If Shira hadn't seen the tears, she would never have known that Rory was crying.

The three of them just stood there in silence. Logan knew that trying to explain this to his mother was futile; she was emotionally dead and only cared about appearances, about public image. The life he was creating with Rory did not paint an image to her liking, so she would try to destroy it. He started to make a move towards the door again, taking Rory with him.

They hadn't moved far when they were stopped again by Shira's words, and unlike her previous ones, the words were soft and unsure. "You know the Vineyard is nice this time of year."

Rory looked at Logan and spoke softly but her voice still carried. "Yes, it is."

"You can have the wedding on the beach. The reception can be held in the house."

"No, we can't." Logan didn't look back at his mother, so he missed the crushed look on her face. Rory, on the other hand, saw it.

Rory understood Shira was offering an olive branch. The type of wedding Shira was hinting at was not the big flashy event that would be expected, it was the kind of wedding that Rory and Logan would love.

"We have already decided to hold the wedding at my Mom's inn." Rory saw Shira's face begin to fall. "But maybe we can have the engagement party there."

Shira appreciated the offer that Rory was making. She felt Rory was offering her more than she deserved. "That would be lovely as well. You can even have some of your friends stay over to make a real event of it."

"Thank you, Shira, we'll think about it." Shira just nodded at the girl with a newfound respect.

Shira then watched her son and Rory walk away from her silently. She wasn't surprised that Logan didn't look back at her but it did hurt nonetheless. Shira knew she had crossed the line in the heat of the moment, hurting not only Rory but her son as well. The tender moment she had just witnessed between Rory and Logan certainly didn't wipe away all of her concerns regarding their relationship but it did put to rest her question regarding Rory's motivation. It was obvious Rory was deeply in love with Logan. Why she turned down his proposal originally was still a mystery, but it was one that could wait to be solved.

No more words were spoken as Logan led Rory out of the house. Once outside they made a dash for the car sheltered under Logan's coat. They had left the umbrella inside and Logan didn't feel like going back for it. If it were up to him he would never go back ever again.

Logan made sure that Rory was safely inside the car away from the rain before he made his way to the driver's side. Once inside the car, Logan looked at Rory, "You know you didn't have to accept her offer, not to just make them happy."

"I'm not. I'm doing it to make us happy. We love the Vineyard… it would be so pretty with the sunset and drinks out on the deck."

******************

After watching the couple exit the house, Shira walked back to her husband who was still sitting in the armchair and still holding his glass of scotch. Mitchum looked up wearily when he heard his wife enter, "Well?"

"You were right. They love each other."

"I know I was right about that, did you fix it?"

"I think I did, or at least I started to." After a moment of looking at his wife, Mitchum stood up and refilled his drink. He took out another crystal tumbler and poured one for his wife. Shira thankfully took the drink, taking a sip of liquor and waited for her husband to sit before speaking.

"Why don't you look at me like that anymore?" Shira's voice was soft and vulnerable.

It was strange that Mitchum didn't need to ask what look Shira was talking about but knew nevertheless and answered, "I don't know."

After a moment of silence Mitchum asked a question of his own, "What happened to the woman who used to make me laugh?"

They both sat looking at each other in silence, each contemplating what the other had just said.

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AN: As you guy's know I'm not a big one for prompting reviews, but with this chapter I am. This is one of the first chapters I wrote for this story, so that means that it's been sitting on my hard drive for about 16 weeks, in honour of it finally being published I'm going to get on my hands and knees and ask that you please hit that special little button just below that says 'Review' and tell me that the last 16 weeks have been worth the time and effort. I would really like to know what you think whether it be good bad or indifferent, I love hearing from you.

Queen Ferret


	10. Chapter 10

Please allow me to apologise, I accidently posted the wrong version of chapter 10, what is below is the correct version. I apologise to everyone particularly my beta team for the mix up, your contribution as all ways is invaluable.

On another note: Words fail me at the amazing reviews that I have received in the three weeks since posting chapter 9. Whilst many of you do not take the time to post with every chapter, (I'm just as guilty of this as everyone else,) it is very comforting to know that when I make the call for reviews, not only did you answer, but you answered with incredibly articulate and thoughtful reviews. Thank you all for taking the time to read and review. You truly are motivation for continuing to write.

* * *

The heavy rain had begun to peter out to a mere mist by the time they pulled up behind Lorelai's Jeep in the Gilmore's driveway. The short drive over had been quiet.

"So, you're sure you're up for doing this again?" Logan looked at Rory closely; he was worried. The doctor had said that her blood pressure was a little higher than he would have liked it to be, but had gone on to say that it was nothing to worry about, just that Rory should try not to get too stressed out. Tonight was going directly against what the doctor had ordered.

"No, I don't want to do this again, but it's better that we get this over and done with."

"Okay, but if it gets to be too much we should leave. Just say the word and we're out of there." What Logan left unsaid was that if he felt it was too stressful he would walk out the door and take Rory with him.

The silence was broken by the sound of the car's door at the passenger side opening. "My babies!" Lorelai half dived into the car, wrapping her arms around her daughter and holding her tight. The action was awkward for both, Rory was being strangled by her seat belt and Lorelai was bent in, too. Despite all of this, there was nowhere else either Gilmore would rather be.

Rory loved the feeling of being back in her Mom's arms; there was just something incredibly comforting about being held by her Mom. She just sank into the hug and let go of all her worries and concerns. Rory found it reassuring that her mother was still one of her refuges during a storm. She felt grateful that she could use her Mom as an emotional support, giving Logan a break. She knew he needed one. Other than when they were at the Huntzberger's, Logan had been so calm since finding out about the pregnancy. Rory believed her Mom was right – Logan's real reaction to all of what was happening was building up. She just hoped she would be strong enough to give Logan the same support he had been giving her.

Rory was stirred out from her deep thoughts by the feeling of mist spraying on her face; she opened her eyes and realized what a ridiculous position she and her mother were in. "Mom, your ass is getting wet."

"Oh! Please, the only person who cares about my ass is Luke and he's not here."

Logan sat back and watched the interaction between mother and daughter. He hoped the family he was going to have with Rory would be that close. He hoped that no matter how old their kids would be, they would always be comfortable with them. The thought of more children didn't frighten Logan; in fact, he hoped that the child they were expecting would be the first of two or three children that he and Rory would have together. Logan was surprised at how easily he found himself settling into the role of being a family guy. Before Rory, a family of his own was something he always associated with obligation – passing on the Huntzberger name. Rory coming into his life caused Logan to completely re-evaluate his concept of love and what a family could and should be.

Logan had no idea how Rory felt about his dream to have more children in the future. There just never seemed to be a right time to bring the subject up, and it was just frustrating for Logan. Here was a girl who loved to plan and make lists and yet she seemed unwilling to discuss their future.

"Mom, you can let go now."

Lorelai shook her head, her voice muffled by the headrest. "No! Omar isn't ready yet."

Rory withdrew her arms from around her mother. "Well, if we don't move soon, Grandma and Grandpa are going to come out and get us."

"Please, Emily wouldn't want to get her hair wet."

"Well, I think that they could scrounge up an umbrella or two in that fancy shmanshy house of theirs." Rory looked at Logan for help. She needed to get out of the car, _now, _or she may not make it inside at all. Logan just looked at Rory and shrugged, the look very much said, '_She's your mother_.'

"Just a few more minutes."

"No." Rory pulled away from her Mom as much as she could in the confined space of the car. Lorelai felt Rory's body stiffen; she pulled back a little and could see the fear in her daughter's eyes. Lorelai was taken aback by the fearful look and thought that maybe she had been the cause of it. She had been joking and building up this evening to be Armageddon since she found out Rory was pregnant. Lorelai was now regretting it.

"Rory, my baby, it's not going to be that bad."

"It will. They will be horrible and it's entirely my fault." Rory's face dropped. She was on the brink of tears.

Logan ran his hand through his hair, leaned his head back and groaned. He truly hated his parents and the way they could make Rory feel worthless. He was used to them making him feel that way, it was the price he had to pay for the privileges he had in life. Rory shouldn't have to pay as well but, unfortunately, there was no way Logan could keep Rory from them. Logan may have walked away from the family business but he would never be able to walk away from who his family was.

Lorelai glanced at Logan and could tell by his body language that their visit at the Huntzberger's had been as bad as expected, if not worse.

"Rory, look at me." Lorelai drew back and crouched down. "This isn't going to turn out like it did for me. Your grandparents love you, they will be shocked at first, but they will get over it. You hooked yourself a Huntzberger… Emily will forgive anything in light of that."

Rory knew that her Grandmother's elation at her '_hooking a Huntzberger'_ would only last until Rory confessed that the wedding would not occur until after she had given birth. "And Grandpa?"

Lorelai smiled at her daughter reassuringly, tucking a strand of hair behind Rory's ear in the process.

"And Grandpa will love his great grandchild as much as he loves you. Rory, you're older than I was, you finished school and you're getting married. You're doing everything I was supposed to do then." Lorelai couldn't help but feel melancholy; as much as she enjoyed rebelling against her parents, she always felt disappointed in herself that she couldn't be the daughter that they had wanted.

"Rory, listen to your Mom." Logan placed his hand on Rory's thigh, "I'm sorry that my parents were so bad… please, don't take what they said earlier in there to your grandparents' house. Don't let them poison our time with your grandparents tonight. Your grandparents actually care about you. We'll work this out, I promise." Logan knew he shouldn't be making a promise that he might not be able to keep, but he truly wanted to believe that together he and Rory could and would achieve anything and everything because together they were more of a force to be reckoned with than when apart. Or at least they would be if only Rory would let him in.

Rory looked at Logan. His face never betrayed that he was starting to doubt her; he looked so calm and confident. Logan had never broken a promise to Rory; she knew that she was being naive but she truly believed that he never would. "Okay, get me in that house now. The longer I sit here the more my courage floats away."

Lorelai gave Rory a smile of encouragement, and tapped her on the knee, "Just burp a few times… that will solve the floating problem."

On that lighthearted note, Lorelai stood up and skipped to the front door.

"Am I supposed to get the burping comment?" Considering how serious the conversation had been just moments before, Logan had no idea how the release of digestive gases was relevant. Logan hoped that Rory and Lorelai would never stop being a mystery to him.

"Well, since you've seen _Willy Wonka_ you should." Rory watched the door to see her Mom bouncing around. "I think this is the happiest that I've seen my Mom when going into that house since the time she had to bail Grandma out from jail."

Logan looked up to see Lorelai making her way into the house. "Why is she so happy?"

"Because for once she won't be the one who is going to give Adolph a coronary."

Logan had no idea what to say to that, so he stuck with something relatively safe. "Come on, Ace, they're waving at us to come in." Rory looked up to see her grandmother and Mom standing inside the foyer, waving at them.

Rory and Logan made a dash to the front door. The Gilmore's front door was much closer to the driveway compared to the Huntzberger's, which meant that they were hardly wet at all by the time they made it inside. They took their coats off and handed them to the waiting maid.

"Rory, how wonderful to see you… I'm so happy." Emily pulled Rory into a backbreaking hug.

"Wow! With a greeting like that I can tell you're happy." Rory deliberately avoided saying that it was good to see her grandmother; because of the circumstances, Rory wished that she could be on another continent when she relayed their news.

Emily looked around and realized for the first time that Richard was absent from the family reunion. Emily had grown sick of Richard's attitude since the phone call from Rory announcing that she would be coming home and that she would be bringing Logan with her. Emily understood Richard's animosity towards Logan; it's not like she had been thrilled when Logan had broken Rory's heart, but if Rory could find a way to forgive Logan, who was she to hold a grudge?

"Richard, come in here and greet our granddaughter and her guest, Logan."

"I'm making the drinks, Emily… I can greet them just as appropriately when I'm done."

"But they won't have just entered our home."

"Well, when I greet them it will have been when they have just entered our living room. This way they will have two greetings, making them very special… you know." Richard's voice dripped with sarcasm. It was very apparent that he was not as happy as Emily welcoming their guests.

Emily sent her husband a glare through the wall and turned to Logan, smiling as if she was not annoyed at her husband. "Logan, how pleasant to see you again." Emily leaned in and gave Logan a light squeeze on the shoulders and a fake kiss on the side.

Logan was the epitome of good manners, returned the greeting, "It's good to see you again, Emily."

Emily ushered the trio inside to where Richard was.

Richard stepped away from the drinks cart and smiled when he saw Rory approach him. Rory noticed Richard's eyes glanced to Logan with a less than pleasant look. Rory ignored the look and hugged her grandfather. There was just something amazingly secure in being held in her grandfather's arms. She relished the sensation, unsure of when she would be able to feel it again. Rory was fearful her grandfather would not be able to forgive her for the mistakes that she had made.

Richard released his hold on Rory and stepped up and offered Logan his hand. When Logan accepted the handshake, Richard couldn't resist the temptation to squeeze his hand just a little too hard. As much as he liked Logan, he would always be the boy who was having sex with his granddaughter. The boy who had left her stranded on what was meant to be the happiest day of her life thus far – her graduation from Yale.

Logan, who was used to businessmen's stand over tactics, smiled at the moment and squeezed back the elder man's hand just as hard. "Logan, my boy, I've just gotten a new bottle of scotch in… would you like to help me break it in." Richard's voice was pleasant; it did not give away Richard's true feelings for Logan.

Logan, who had originally intended to stay dry for the night decided that a little Dutch courage was needed. "You know me, Richard… I can't turn down good scotch."

Richard released his grip on Logan's hand with the pretense of fixing Logan's drink. In reality, Richard used the moment to flex his now aching hand. Richard was reluctant to give Logan any points on the respect scale – men much older than Logan hadn't had the guts to grip his hand so tightly.

Emily, having missed the exchange between Richard and Logan, smiled pleasantly at the room and gestured for everyone to take a seat. Emily was about to take her own seat when she realized that Lorelai was still wearing her coat. "Lorelai, take off your jacket."

"No, thanks, Mom… I'm cold."

"Lorelai, it may be raining but it's eighty-two degrees in here."

"Mom, I told you I'm cold. Would you rather I freeze?"

"You're sweating." Emily looked skeptically at Lorelai's flushed face.

"Well, I must be coming down with a fever." Lorelai wrapped her arms around herself, rubbed her arms as if for warmth and pretended to shiver. "I feel cold. _Brrr_."

Emily gave a very disapproving look, and then turned to Rory and Logan who were seated on the love seat. "Fine, suit yourself. I have precious little time with my granddaughter and I am not going to spend that time arguing with you about a silly coat."

After handing Logan his scotch, Richard addressed the Lorelais, "Lorelai, Rory… I've made martinis."

"No, thanks, Grandpa… could I just have a soda?" Rory was thankful that turning down alcohol was not as thought provoking as when she had to turn down coffee.

"Right you are… Lorelai?"

"I'll have her share."

Once everyone was seated with drinks, the small, useless chitchat began. Richard quizzed Logan on his new business venture and Rory filled in the details of life on the campaign trail. Emily, all throughout the conversation, would send beaming looks at Logan and Rory. Emily's heart had been filled with joy since Rory's phone call that she was coming home with Logan for a couple of days and that they had some important news to share. Emily had been sure that Rory was going to announce that she had come to her senses and accepted Logan's proposal. Emily had been so disappointed when Rory had turned down Logan's proposal; she didn't understand why Rory had said _no_. Logan was a perfect match for Rory. Considering Rory's passion for the written word, the fact that he came from a newspaper and publishing background was just too perfect. And, on top of that, he was exceptionally talented, good looking and charming and _very_ well off. However, Emily's hopes of an engagement had been shattered when Rory entered the house with a naked left-hand ring finger.

Emily took a moment to consider the situation: clearly an engagement announcement was not in the cards for tonight. Obviously the couple had reconciled and perhaps that was the reason why Rory called to request a family dinner, but, to Emily, dinner seemed a little excessive to announce that they had reconciled. Nevertheless, she was still delighted to see Rory under any circumstances, and besides, Rory and Logan dating again provided some hope that marriage would be in the cards down the road.

Emily gave up on her rambling thoughts. If she wanted to know what was going on she would just have to ask, and never having been a patient woman, she skipped any further pleasantries and brought up the topic that everyone was very clearly avoiding. "So, Rory, when you called you said that you and Logan had an announcement to make?"

Emily's eyes glanced once again to Rory's left hand, '_hmmm no ring,'_ she had been so sure that she was going to see a ring on Rory's finger.

Rory and Logan shared a nervous look; Lorelai had almost fallen off her seat in an attempt to get her camera phone and a bag of popcorn out of her coat pockets. She couldn't believe that the show was going to start before dinner.

Emily looked at Lorelai in horror, "Lorelai, what are you doing?"

"Why do I do any of my crazy things?"

"Because you get some kind of sick pleasure out of it?"

"Darn right!" Lorelai shoved a handful of popcorn in her mouth and readied her camera phone.

Emily turned away from Lorelai and gave Rory her full attention. "Rory, dear, just ignore your mother… if you pay attention to her, you'll only be encouraging her."

Rory looked around, she had hoped to build up some courage for this moment, but it seemed that she was doomed to make the announcement without having laid any prep work. Rory had no idea what kind of prep work she needed, so maybe the band-aid method was the only way to get their news out and over with.

"Well, Grandma, Grandpa." Rory took a final sip of her drink and placed it on the coffee table next to Logan's now empty glass of scotch. "We have something very important to tell you… Logan and I are engaged."

"Oh! Rory, Logan… that's wonderful." Emily smiled broadly at the news. She was about to rush out of her seat when Rory held up her hand, gesturing for Emily to stay seated. Hugging distance was not going to be a safe distance.

Richard just sat there and made a dissatisfied _humph_, he had been expecting news like this. He thought to himself that at least Rory wasn't announcing that she was pregnant.

"Wait, Grandma, I'm not finished. We are engaged and ahhh, we are going to have a baby."

Both Richard and Emily just sat in stunned silence for a moment. They both had to process the news which dumbfounded both of them, and then, Emily spoke. "Well, at least one Lorelai can do the right thing." Emily spared a pointed look at her daughter who was still happily munching away on her popcorn.

Rory, not wanting her mother to become her whipping girl, spoke up, "Leave Mom out of this. She did what was right for her. This is what's right for us."

"Well, how far along are you?" Emily gave Rory's stomach a critical look.

Rory was reluctant to answer this question. How far along she was had been the only real unexpected information they learned from the doctor's appointment earlier that day. Rory had first feared that she was pregnant just a few days into her new job. She had felt overwhelmingly tired all the time for no apparent reason. At first she had tried to simply pass her symptoms off as the pressure of starting a new job and the loss of Logan, but as time went on she had known that those reasons were just fanciful lies that she was telling herself.

Rory looked down at her hand that was still clutching Logan's, "About seven weeks."

_Seven weeks. _Emily was astonished that Rory was so far along. That meant Rory had been pregnant when she had graduated. Emily couldn't help but think she had done something wrong that not even Rory could graduate from school without getting pregnant.

"Well, then we will have to get everything organized. It will be an effort but I think we can arrange the wedding before you start to show."

The idea of a shotgun wedding struck fear into Rory's heart; she looked from her and Logan's linked hands to the disappointed eyes of her Grandmother. "Ahh… Grandma, we're not planning on getting married until after the baby is born."

"What?"

"Well, Logan and I don't see the need to rush. It's just another pressure on top of everything."

Emily started to look distressed, "Rory, that's not the way things are done. And, Logan," Emily turned to Logan for the first time since the announcement of the shocking news, "Shame on you… asking a girl to marry you and not giving her a ring."

Rory jumped to Logan's defense before he could speak. "I have a ring." Rory pulled out her necklace which was hidden by her shirt. "Here, the doctor said that your hands can swell during pregnancy. I didn't want to have the ring cut off when it gets stuck to my swelling finger, so I'm wearing it in a chain around my neck."

For the first time since all the drama had started, Lorelai made a comment, "Hey, it's true. I forgot about that. Everyone tells you about how your feet and ankles swell up, but no one tells you about the hands. Towards the end of my pregnancy, it looked like I had baseball gloves for hands."

"Lorelai, you are not helping!" Emily sounded exasperated.

"I didn't know I was supposed to. Not to mention I have no idea how I could be of any help in this situation."

"You should be encouraging her to do the right thing."

"I am encouraging her to do the right thing for her."

Emily gave up on the notion that Lorelai would be of any help in convincing Rory that delaying the wedding was not acceptable, Emily didn't know why she thought that Lorelai would be of any help in this situation. Emily turned back to Rory who was still fidgeting with the ring that hung from a chain around her neck.

"Well, put it on so I can have the full effect." Emily gestured to the ring.

Under the scrutiny of her grandmother's glare, Rory's hands started to shake, her hands fumbled with the dainty clasp. Seeing her hand tremble, Logan moved in closer to undo the clasp. He slid the ring off the chain and held Rory's hand in his.

The room went quiet as everybody saw the look on the young lovers' faces – it was an intimate moment and they all felt like they had intruded on it. Just like the first time that Logan had slid the ring on Rory's finger, he felt so sure that he was supposed to be with Rory. Once the ring was safely in place, Logan gently cupped Rory's face and smiled, leaned in and kissed her. Logan had only intended the kiss to be a simple brushing of the lips, but Rory, having forgotten that they were not alone, deepened the kiss. It was only in moments like this that Logan could feel how sure and confident Rory was about them and that puzzled him. He was sure of them all the time and yet Rory only seemed to have fleeting moments of certainty.

Suddenly Richard, who had yet to speak a word, stood up and marched passing the lip-locked couple. The movement startled Logan and Rory, breaking their kiss.

"Richard, where are you going?" Emily watched her husband storm up the stairs.

Richard paused on the landing and looked back into the living room. "I'm going to kill him. That's what I'm going to do. It's what I should have done when she was still under this roof." Richard gave Logan a seething look that would cause even the bravest of men to flinch.

"Richard! No!" Emily jumped out of her chair and took off after him.

"I got the best photo of my mother's face." Lorelai shuffled through the photos that she had taken in the last ten minutes, seemingly oblivious to the ordeal that Rory and Logan were going through. "She looks like she's laying an egg.'

"Do I want to know where he is going?" Logan nervously looked around.

Lorelai stopped looking at the pictures she took with her phone and saw the anguish on the young couple's faces. She put on her best hick accent and stated, "Daddy gonna get his huntin' rifle."

"What!" Rory stood up with her hand still clutching Logan's.

"It is okay," Lorelai wondered why her sense of humor was never appreciated at times like this.

"He'll make it into the gun room, Emily will calm him down and then he will march downstairs, scowl at Logan, and then, lock himself in his office for an hour, and then, he will come out declaring that he has the solution."

Rory chewed her lower lip in worry, wondering which would be the safest escape route from the house. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because Dad did it three times to Christopher." Lorelai stood up and started to unbutton her coat. "Thank god I can take this off… I'm roasting." Lorelai pulled off her coat to reveal a hot pink T-shirt with rhinestones – the rhinestone formed the image of a large erect penis with two well-proportioned balls.

Rory started laughing. Logan's mouth dropped open. Rory had told him the story of the first time that Lorelai had worn this particular T-shirt to dinner; he could not believe that Lorelai would actually wear such an extremely scandalous top to her parents' home until he saw it with his own eyes. Logan leaned to Rory and whispered, "Is your mother insane?" His words went unnoticed by Lorelai who was still entertaining herself with the photos that she had taken so far.

"Nope, she is just making it easier for us. She has given Emily something else to complain about."

Rory started laughing again; she felt so good to be laughing, releasing some of the bottled-up tension and stress of the evening. Her laughter, however, was stopped by the sound of Richard storming down the stairs. He paused at the landing and glared at Rory and Logan. It seemed that he now placed the blame for the whole mess on both of their shoulders. He then stomped off into his study, slamming the door behind him.

Emily, who had followed Richard downstairs, was clearly embarrassed by his behavior. She looked around with no doubt about making some kind of apology for Richard's outburst when she noticed what Lorelai had been wearing under her jacket. "Lorelai! I thought I told you to destroy that T-shirt."

"Nope. You said that I could never wear it in your presence again at a family dinner unless the subject matter was appropriate."

"I would hardly deem this," Emily gestured to Rory and Logan, "appropriate."

"Well, I think that it's incredibly appropriate, because without one of these," Lorelai pointed to the rhinestone phallus. "You cannot have a baby." After a moment of thought Lorelai added, "Well, you can have a baby without one of these but where's the fun in that?"

Rory could barely hide her smile; she knew that as good as Lorelai's talking abilities were, there was no way that her Grandma would allow her mother to wear the T-shirt for the rest of the night. Rory decided to give her mother's cause a hand. "You know, Grandma, you should just ignore your daughter… if you pay attention to her, you'll only be encouraging her." Rory gave her most demure look as she repeated her Grandmother's words from earlier.

Emily, being a smart woman, recognized a losing battle and decided to let the matter slide.


	11. Chapter 11

AN: Hi guy's sorry for taking so long with this chapter, a lot has happened since I put the last chapter up, some good, some bad. The good part is that I'm on holiday's, infact I'm in New York posting this chapter. YAY! As always, a big thank you to my beaters. Read and enjoy!!!

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Dinner had been nowhere as eventful as the pre-dinner drinks. Emily had spent most of the meal trying to convince Rory and Logan to get married prior to the birth of their child. But Rory had stuck to her guns. The only real disruption came when Richard had stormed out of his office, stood in the entry to the dining room and declared he had the solution, "You will get married and that's that!"

Rory had looked up from her meal and shared a look with her mother. "Ahh! Grandpa, Logan and I are already engaged."

Richard looked at Rory, "Well… that's good." Richard gave Logan one last dirty look and then stormed back into his office, slamming the door behind him. That was the last they saw of him.

******************

The drive from the Gilmore's had been spent in relative silence, Rory tried once or twice to start a conversation but Logan was non-responsive. He had been acting odd since dinner and Rory was clueless as to the reason why.

Rory hadn't noticed they were in Stars Hollow until they pulled up behind Lorelai's Jeep in the drive way of her childhood home. It was strange how Rory was already distancing herself from Stars Hollow. She kept using terms like, "where I grew up" and "my childhood home." Rory hoped that one day she would be able to come back to this place and call it home once again, but for the moment her future lay in California.

Logan had turned off the ignition and popped the trunk of the car, but he just sat in the car. He didn't move.

Rory felt a need to fill the silence again, hoping that this time Logan would talk. "So, was tonight as bad for you as it was for me?" Rory waited for Logan to answer, none was forthcoming. Rory needed to get Logan to talk; she needed to know what was wrong. And she felt the overwhelming need to apologize, "I'm sorry." Rory whispered the words.

"You have nothing to be sorry about," Logan answered but still not looking at Rory. Sounding so cold and distant, his words were not reassuring.

"Really? Because this all feels like my fault."

"How do you figure that?"

"I don't know… maybe I missed taking a pill or something." Rory knew she had not missed a pill, but it didn't stop her from feeling responsible for getting pregnant.

Despite Logan's reassurance that what the Huntzbergers had said meant nothing, and that she shouldn't let their words affect her, they had indeed affected her. How could the words not? Everything they had said echoed Rory's innermost fears. She knew if there had been no baby and, if she and Logan had found a way to heal the hurt and pain that they both had inflicted to each other, their families would have been much more accepting. But with a baby on the way, Rory looked like nothing more than a manipulative bitch who was using a child as a way of securing her future.

"Yeah and maybe I ripped a condom, hell maybe I forgot to put one on. Or maybe we are just in the lucky point zero one percent that contraception didn't work for. It doesn't matter why or who, it doesn't make a difference to me or how I feel about you and the baby." Even though Logan meant the words, he couldn't say them like he meant them. He was so confused and hurt by Rory's behavior and it was starting to dampen his enthusiasm.

"I feel like I have trapped you in this." Rory felt like she was setting herself up to be the martyr, as much as it would kill her, if Logan wasn't happy she was going to give him a way out at that moment.

"You're right I do feel trapped." Rory swallowed hard as Logan voiced her worst fear. "I feel like I'm trapped with someone who doesn't really want this." Logan didn't look at Rory, he kept looking dead ahead, his jaw was set as if he was grinding his teeth. "Well? Do you want this?"

Rory was confused. Was Logan talking about whether she really wants the baby? "Want what?"

Logan still didn't look at Rory; he knew that if he looked at her his resolve to talk would falter_._ "_Us,_ Rory. Do you really want us?" Logan regretted that he had been mad at Honor for not supporting him more; he was starting to think she was right and it was killing him. At that point in time, Logan didn't believe there were any words that Rory could say that would make him believe her.

"Logan, God yes! How can you even ask me that?"

For the first time that day, Rory sounded sure of herself and it was that sound of certainty that finally caused Logan to turn and face her; could Rory really not know how she had been acting? Logan was starting to think tonight was one big show of unity, so, the news of the baby wouldn't sound so…bad. "Because your hand was shaking when I put the ring on your finger, and something was off at the airport, all during dinner you were so adamant that we would not be getting married until after the birth." Logan's hand gripped the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles turned white with the strain of his grip. "And you won't talk to me about anything serious; you won't make any plans for the future with me. You're still second guessing us. I told you that I was here no matter what. Why did you say _yes_ if you don't mean it?"

Rory was stunned, she had no idea that she had been behaving like she didn't have faith in them. "Logan, I mean it, I love you."

"Yeah, but you don't love me enough to get married right away." Logan opened the car door and slammed it behind him; the car shook with the force.

Rory was in shock, he wasn't supposed to walk away from her, and they had promised one another that they wouldn't do this. Rory got out of the car to find Logan walking down the driveway, away from the house. "Logan?" She said his name as a question.

Logan looked back; with only the illumination from the porch light, he could clearly see her tear stained face. "I'm not leaving you, Rory, I'm not breaking my promise, but I don't want to say something that I would regret. I'll be back in a couple of hours." Rory was oddly impressed with Logan. He had really grown up and matured. The Logan from just a few months ago would have walked away without a word, without an explanation. For once Logan was the one ahead in the maturity stakes and Rory was the one running to catch up. Maybe Rory had underestimated Logan. All this time she had been waiting for him to show his true feelings in regards to her pregnancy and their reconciliation, but maybe, just maybe, every reaction Logan had was in fact him showing Rory how he really felt.

Rory watched as Logan turned away from her and started making his way back down the driveway, she watched him until he turned the corner and was out of sight. Rory didn't know what to do, should she go after him? Or let him cool off? Rory had promised herself she would never let Logan walk away from her again, but Logan said that he wasn't leaving her, just that he needed some space and time. Surely, giving him that didn't count as letting him walk away.

In a daze, Rory walked up the steps leading to the front door, the boards of the porch creaked under her weight, normally these small details would be comforting, but with her whole world falling apart Rory found nothing comforting about being in her mother's house. Everything had gone so horribly wrong. Rory felt hollow, like a part of her was missing. She was all too familiar with the feeling; it was the same one Rory had been living with since Logan had walked away from her at Yale.

Lorelai came walking in from the kitchen, "So, tonight for our viewing pleasure we have_, Three Men and a Baby_, _Look Whose Talking _followed by _The Omen_ and if we have more time, the Macaulay Culkin classic _The Good Son_." Lorelai looked up from her reading of the movie titles to see Rory just standing in the living room, her face pale and ghostlike. "Rory, what happened?"

"I don't know." Rory's voice was barely audible, almost as if she didn't say it too loud it wouldn't happen. "I think that maybe Logan and I might be breaking up."

Lorelai didn't understand because for her, Rory and Logan had been so... together earlier in the evening, "What do you mean?"

"Logan said that he doesn't believe that this is what I want."

"That's crazy! You sounded so sure on the phone when you told me. Why would you have bothered with tonight if you weren't sure? Has something changed?"

"I was sure... I am sure; it's just that I feel like we are moving so fast." Rory hesitated again; she didn't know how to voice her fears. "What if I get scared and run. I don't want to run from Logan."

"Oh! Man. This is my fault." Lorelai took Rory's hands in her own and led her to the couch. Lorelai put the movies down on the coffee table and sat down on the couch, she patted the seat next to her, indicating that Rory should join her.

Rory reluctantly sat next to her Mom, "It's not your fault, Mom."

"Yes, it is. I was not a good role model for you over the years when it came to the whole love and commitment thing. I never really stopped to think about how it would affect you." Lorelai passed the box of tissues that had been sitting on the coffee table to Rory.

Rory accepted the offered tissues - blew her noise noisily and wiped her tears away. "Mom, I'm a big girl, I make my own decision."

"I know you make your own decisions. But I also know my opinion influences your decisions a lot. Answer me this, if it wasn't for me would you have said yes to Logan the first time?" Lorelai had always had a fear that her opinion of Logan had effected Rory's decision to turn down the proposal the first time.

Lorelai's fears had only grown after the break-up; Rory had not been doing well the past few weeks. Lorelai knew from personal experience that break-ups were hard, but what Rory had been going through was more akin to grieving. Lorelai had initially dealt with her concerns by pointing out that it was Logan who had made the decision to end the relationship. But as Rory has slipped further and further into her melancholy, Lorelai began to think the true cause of Rory's pain was not that Logan had broken up with her, but that she had said 'no' to Logan in the first place.

"I don't know." Rory took her time in answering the question; she didn't know the answer off the top of her head. "I knew you didn't want me to get married so young... but that's not why I said _no_."

"Then why did you say no?"

"I told you, I would never have taken this job if I was engaged." Rory answered, almost like she was on auto pilot.

"Job shmob." Lorelai had heard this answer so many times from Rory that she knew it was not the whole truth. "Why did you really say no?"

Rory took the time to think why she had really said no to Logan. Her mother was right - the job excuse was not the truth, Rory knew that. Under the steady gaze of her mother, Rory finally felt safe enough to voice her deepest and darkest fear. "I thought that it would hurt less, if we broke up before getting married."

"But Logan asked you to marry him, that's the exact opposite of a break…up...." Lorelai's voice trailed off as she had finally figured out Rory's real motivation behind saying 'no'. "So, you saying _no_ was an act of self-preservation? You thought that since there is no way the relationship would last that it would be better to lose a boyfriend than a husband?"

Rory nodded, she knew that the logic behind her decision was suspect, but since when have logic and matters of the heart gone hand in hand? Rory tried to rationalize her thoughts, "Look at how much hurt there always is once marriage gets involved. Look at you. Everything was always fine for you before marriage got in the way. I didn't want marriage to get in the way, I liked the way Logan and I were."

'_Oh boy_,' Lorelai thought. Her love life did not set a good example for Rory. It had been way crappier and way more influential than she had first thought. "Rory, everything wasn't fine for me before marriage. I was not fine, I was so lonely, and I wanted someone to share my life with. I wanted someone to help ease the burden. I want the commitment that comes with marriage, but I'm so screwed up that it's taking me a few people to work through my issues."

Lorelai had spent a lot of time working, figuring out what had gone wrong with her love life. "With Max, I didn't know how to let him in and how to share you with him. Then Luke, he loved you, I'd spent all this time looking for someone who would accept us as a package, and here was this amazing man right in front of me, but he didn't know how to let me in. Then your dad, he was the illusion of the package, who doesn't want to be with the father of their kid? But I was forcing it. I was hurting so much that I used Christopher to help fill the void that Luke had left. It wasn't right or fair but it's the truth."

Rory listened to her Mom, she knew all of this, and she had helped her Mom work some of this stuff out. Rory desperately wanted to learn from her mother's mistakes, and as much as Rory liked how similar she and her mother were, there were some things that Rory did not want to replicate. "I don't want to lose Logan… but what if I do something wrong? What if I'm not enough for him to stay?" Rory bit her bottom lip as she waited for her mother to give her reassuring words.

"Oh! Rory," Lorelai's heart broke at her daughter's confession - Rory didn't have commitment issues, she had abandonment issues, _damn Christopher_. Lorelai pulled Rory into her arms, "Rory, you are _enough_. You were _never_ the reason that your Dad didn't stay. Your father had to sort out his own life before he could be there for you."

"I know," and Rory did know, but it didn't stop her from feeling that it was her own shortcomings that prevented men from staying in her life. "I'm just so scared that I want to run before I can get hurt."

"Aww… sweetie, you are going to be as big as a house soon, you won't be running anywhere."

"I'm serious, I don't want to run. I wanted things to stay the way they were. I felt safe there."

"Rory, things shouldn't stay the way they are just because you're scared of change. Some really amazing things can happen when you are open to change."

Rory heard what her mother had said, but it was hard to put it into perspective.

Lorelai could see Rory struggle with what she had said. Rory was dealing with so much that it was going to take time to process any advice she was given. Lorelai feared that time and Logan was not on Rory's side.

"I know how scary the unknown is. And now is probably one of the scariest times of your life not just with Logan but also with the baby. Being a Mom is the hardest thing I've ever done, so you have something to be scared about. But you can't let your fear push you into making the wrong decision. You, Rory Gilmore, are a strong, independent woman; you are the most level-headed person I know. Think about what you really want, let go of everything else and just think about what _you_ want."

Rory took a moment to do what her mother had suggested. She closed her eyes and let go of her fears and doubts and asked herself the question, _"What do I want?"_ The answer came to her almost immediately, "I want Logan, and I want to marry him." Rory opened her eyes to the sight of her nodding mother.

"Then I think you need to tell Logan that. I think that you need to tell him everything else as well."

Rory nodded, she knew her mother was right and now that she had voiced her deepest fears, they didn't seem so frightening any more. The only thing that was really petrifying was the prospect of not being able to convince Logan to believe her. She knew that as long as she had him by her side everything else would work out just fine.

******************

Rory found herself walking the town of Stars Hollow. She wasn't looking for Logan; she had decided to give him the time that he said he needed. Time shouldn't cause worry or anxiety; time was just that, time. It wouldn't change how Rory felt about Logan, and Rory reasoned that if Logan had stuck with her this far, a few more hours would not affect the longevity of their being together.

Now that Rory knew what she wanted, she could finally enjoy the quiet streets of Stars Hollow. The comfort she had been longing for could finally be found in the town she would always want to call home.

Rory approached the foot bridge crossing the lake, in the moonlight she could see this was where Logan had found his place for solitude. She debated for a moment on whether to leave him be, or to talk to him. Rory decided that since she had found him by pure chance, she would take it as a sign that they were ready to talk.

Logan didn't look up as Rory walked on the bridge, her shoes making a soft _thud_ with each step. Rory spoke before she reached Logan. "Logan, it's not you or us that I doubt. I doubt me; I don't even think that doubt is the right word. It's just that every time something happens, like you putting the ring on my finger, I'm just waiting for this to fall apart." By the time Rory had finished she was standing next to Logan, she pointed to the spot next to Logan, silently asking for permission to sit down.

Logan shrugged his shoulders; it was a free world, Rory didn't need his permission to sit down. Logan watched as Rory sat down next to him, she left enough room so they would not accidently touch.

Logan looked closely at Rory's face - she had been crying, but she seemed calm now. "I don't know what you want me to say, Rory. I have no hesitation when I think about you and us and our future. This just feels so right to me, but then you go and do little things that make me doubt that you have made the right decision."

Rory felt it was time to trust Logan with her greatest fear, but her courage wasn't strong enough for her to look him in the eye. Instead she cast her gaze out over the lake; she watched the moonlight dance across the water. "Logan, I've never been enough for a guy to stay before and I don't see how I'm going to be enough to keep you. A girl can only be left so many times before she decides that running and self-preservation is better than being hurt again."

Logan's eyes followed Rory's, even as Rory's confession hung in the air, Logan could recognize the beauty and charm of Stars Hollow. Logan wanted to say to Rory that she would always be enough for him, but he was distracted by a wave of overwhelming guilt, "And my walking away from you at Yale only fed that fear."

"No, Logan," Rory could see that Logan was going to put the blame of May on his own shoulders. "This is not your fault. I let you walk away… I let my fear rule me."

"Rory, if you are feeling all of _this, _how can you be sure that you have made the right decision?"

"Logan, I made the right decision when I said yes to you. I don't want to spend my life with anyone else."

"But just a few weeks ago you were telling me _no_, other than the baby, what's changed?"

That was an excellent question and Rory could only hope that her answer would satisfy Logan. "I've changed. Last May I thought that it would be easier to lose you as my boyfriend than as my husband. But I've learned that it will never ever be easy losing you, but losing you over something ridiculous like my own abandonment issues is very stupid."

"So, you think that we are doomed, that we can't make it?" Logan felt angry, how could Rory have so little faith in them? "Or are you waiting for me to screw up and leave you?"

"No! I'm scared that I'm going to screw up and run so that you don't have the chance to leave me. I don't want to lose you and I know that me feeling this way is driving a wedge between us, but I don't know how to stop feeling like this… "

Logan had no idea what he had done to make Rory feel so insecure, "Rory, I don't know what more I can do to convince you that I love you and that I don't want to go anywhere."

"Logan, you're already doing everything you can. Just keep being there for me, don't let me down and don't let me run.

"So, am I supposed to block the doorway if it seems like you're going to bolt? I don't want to keep you with me if it's not where you want to be."

"That's what I'm trying to tell you, Logan, I don't want to run, I'm where I belong. I want you forever but apparently my silly abandonment issues are making me do strange things. "

Logan let these words sink in, "You're not silly, Rory." Logan felt guilty - here Rory was sharing with him her darkest fears and all he could think about was his own insecurities. It seemed so tactless for him to ask his question now, but Rory seemed prepared to talk, if he didn't ask now, who knew when Rory would be open to talking again. "What if I asked you to marry me right now? What if I said that it was a deal breaker?" Logan was really asking the question not because it was something he was going to insist on, but he need to hear the answer, he needed to truly understand how committed Rory was to them.

Rory didn't need time to answer, "There is a priest who lives some ten-minute walking distance from here. I don't think he'll appreciate a house call at this time of night, but I'm game if you are." Rory didn't hesitate, her wanting to delay the wedding had nothing to do with her faith in their relationship.

Logan looked at her in disbelief, "You're serious?"

Rory nodded her head, "Yeah, maybe we could bribe him with cake."

"If you're prepared to marry me now, why are you insisting on waiting?"

"Because I don't want to get married in this turmoil. I don't want the break-up tainting us. I hurt you, Logan, I know that and I know that that doesn't heal overnight, or just because I'm pregnant. I do want to marry you more than anything else in the world, I want to say _yes _and when we say _I do_, I want it to be perfect…That's if you still want to marry me. I've recently become aware that I come with an interesting array of baggage, I would understand if I am too messy for you to handle."

Logan took a moment to answer, Rory watched his face as the weight of her words settled in, and she just hoped he would give her the answer she desperately needed. "I still _want_ you, Ace. I think that no matter what, I'm always going to want you, but are you sure you want to marry me?"

Rory took his hand in hers; it was the first physical contact they had had since leaving her grandparents' place. Rory squeezed Logan's hand tight. "You jump, I jump, Jack."

Logan smiled at the phrase. It meant more to him than Rory would ever know. She had showed such trust in him that day, more than anyone before, not because he talked her into doing something stupid. He had been talking people, particularly women, into doing stupid things for a long time. People had always done the things Logan had asked because they wanted something from him - his money, his connections, and his body. But Rory had wanted nothing but his assistance to be able to write an article for the school paper and by the time of the jump she had her story. She'd had all the information she needed by that point, but she had trusted him enough to allow him to take her out of her comfort zone, and jumped from a seven-story height for no other reason than the fact that she trusted him.

Logan smirked at Rory, "Well if you insist, Ace." Logan held onto Rory's hand tighter, shifted his weight and dropped down into the water, taking Rory with him.

When Rory broke the surface of the water, it was to the sound of Logan's laughter, Rory turned to face him. "Logan Huntzberger, you just ruined my dress!" Rory then splashed his face with water, she wasn't really mad at him. He believed her, that's all that mattered.

Logan ignored her splashing hands and swam forward taking Rory in his arms, his legs kicking enough to keep them both afloat. "I'll buy you a new dress." Logan whispered in Rory's ear, she stopped her splashing and snaked her arms around his neck.

"But I really liked this dress." Rory's body settled in even closer to Logan.

"I'll buy you two dresses then."

Rory kicked her legs gently, she could feel her shoes slip off her feet and sink to the bottom of the lake, she brought her lips close to Logan's, "And my shoes?"

Logan kissed Rory's nose, "Shoes, too, Ace."

******************

Lorelai was upstairs in her bedroom when she heard Rory and Logan come home. They had entered the house noisily, their voices full of laughter and joy. Lorelai felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders at the sound of their happiness. Lorelai dearly hoped she would never have to pick up the pieces of Rory's broken heart if Logan and Rory could not make it work.

Lorelai thought it was truly amazing that Rory had found _the one_ at such a young age and it was even more amazing that Rory recognized it and she was brave enough to go out and get it. Lorelai was jealous Rory had that; Lorelai knew if it didn't work this time with Luke, she will have missed her chance at love.

After a while, Lorelai decided that Rory and Logan had been too quiet for too long, she headed downstairs and investigated. Lorelai crashed into the luggage that had been dumped in the hallway, the only thing that stopped her from ending up on her ass was the fact that she crashed into the wall. If Lorelai caught them doing something dirty she was sooo going to embarrass them for the rest of their lives.

Lorelai walked into the kitchen, shocked to find Rory and Logan, soaking wet and engaged in… a thumb war?

"What on earth are the two of you doing?"

Rory waved her free hand at her Mom, "Shhh, you'll break my concentration."

And that was exactly what happened, for the next moment, Logan pinned Rory's thumb down and counted to three. After Rory could not set her thumb free Logan stood up, his chair sent cluttering to the floor, he raised his arms in victory. "I win! I am the champion of the world and you, Rory Gilmore, will be sleeping in the bed."

Rory crossed her arms over her chest and pouted.

Lorelai looked at the two in confusion. Why wouldn't they both be taking the bed? It was obvious that Rory and Logan had worked out a lot of their issues that had been apparent by the laughter that had announced their arrival back home, so with them being together there was no need for someone to take the couch. "Okay, I don't get it."

Logan composed himself and turned to Lorelai. "I told Rory that she should take the bed and I'll take the trundle, we couldn't settle it with words so we settle it with a death match."

Rory pointed her finger at Logan, "The only reason you won was because of outside interference."

Logan looked back at Rory, he couldn't keep the smug smile off his face, "Hey, we were both subjected to the same conditions."

"I hate to break up this display of maturity, but have either of you actually looked in the bedroom."

The blank stare the pair gave Lorelai was answer enough; Lorelai walked over to Rory's childhood bedroom and opened the door. There, crammed into the middle of the room was a double bed. "I borrowed it from Babette; I thought you might be more comfortable like this as long as you promise no shenanigans, tom foolery or hokey pokey."

Rory rolled her eyes, "Mom."

Lorelai put up her hands in mock surrender, "You're right, you're right, Bubbe is a little late in giving that kind of advice."

Logan had no idea how he should react to Lorelai talking about sex, so he stuck to his original victory plan, hoping they would not drag him into their conversation. "Well, I'll leave you girls to talk while I take a quick shower."

Rory watched Logan as he walked down the hallway and into the bathroom.

Lorelai laughed at the doe-eyed look Rory had on her face; Rory looked up at her Mom when she heard her laugh.

"What?"

"Nothing… So, do I want to know why both of you are wet?"

******************

Rory opened her bedroom door quietly trying not to wake Logan. After her shower Rory had filled her Mom in on everything that had happened at the Huntzberger's, she was now emotionally and physically tired.

Rory tiptoed around the bed and slipped between the sheets. Logan was fast asleep with his back towards her side of the bed. Rory was just about asleep when Logan rolled towards her, his body spooned against hers. Logan wrapped his arm around Rory's waist and pulled her in closer to him. Rory took a moment to marvel at how well they fit together, _this _was what contentment really felt like.

Logan buried his face in the nape of Rory's neck, he breathed in deep, Rory's scent overwhelming his senses. Logan's hand started to caress her stomach.

"Logan," Rory smiled she knew what Logan was up to.

"What?" Logan faked ignorance but his hand increased its movements.

"Logan, stop. We're not going to have sex in my mother's house."

Logan whispered in Rory's ear, "That didn't seem to be an issue last time we were here."

Rory shivered at the feeling of Logan's warm breath on her ear, she was so distracted that for a moment she couldn't think, she had been sure of her logic until Logan had reminded her of their last stay in this room. The moment of fuzziness did not last long. "Well, that's because my mother wasn't asleep upstairs."

Logan settled in even closer to Rory, she could feel the beginning of his erection pressing against her ass. "Come on, Ace, we'll be quiet. It will be just like back in college, we can pretend Paris is in the other room."

"Logan, no." Rory didn't sound convincing in her protests, she didn't even attempt to move away from him.

Logan slipped his hand under Rory's tank top; he caressed his way up her torso. Logan kissed the back of Rory's neck, "Please." Logan kissed Rory's neck again; his lips lingered on her skin longer this time, "Please." Logan worked his hand higher up her body and finally cupped her breast, massaging it. He planted another kiss on Rory's neck and whispered, "Please." Logan felt Rory's breathing start to deepen, her body relaxed in his arms. Logan knew he was wearing down Rory's resolve.

Logan moved away from Rory's body but he left his hand on her breast, he gave himself enough room to roll Rory onto her back, he propped his head up with his other hand. Logan stared down at Rory; her eyes looked silver in the moonlight coming though the bedroom window. For a moment the pair didn't do or say anything, they just stared at one another. Rory reached up and caressed Logan's face; she loved the feeling of the stubble growing on his chin and jawline.

Logan leaned down and placed gentle kisses on Rory's neck, chin and cheeks, for the moment he avoided her lips. His hand moved from her breast down to her body, Logan enjoyed the feeling of her smooth, warm skin under his hand. Logan slipped his hand under her pajama shorts and underwear, he slipped his hand all the way down until he could gently play with her smooth nether lips. Logan worked her outer lips until Rory grew frustrated and started rocking her hips, trying to create more stimulation. Finally, Logan slipped his finger into her warm moist folds, he was surprised that she had grown so wet so quickly that Logan knew that he had won.

Logan waited until Rory started to make a soft purring sound before he finally kissed her lips. It was a long slow kiss. Logan pulled away from the kiss and gazed down at Rory. Her eyes were closed and he could see her skin was flushed, he whispered for what he knew would be the final time that night. "Please." Logan stilled the motion of his hand that was resting between her legs.

Rory's eyes fluttered open after she realized Logan was no longer stimulating her. She looked up at him; his warm chocolate eyes were full of lust and need. Logan looked down into her eyes and could no longer see any doubt or hesitation. At last he was seeing the real Rory, the Rory that was sure of who she was and what she wanted.

Rory found she no longer had the strength of will to deny Logan, so she answered Logan's final _please_, not with words but with action. Rory reached up, with both hands and pulled Logan down to her and crushed their lips together. One of Rory's hands left Logan's neck and ventured down his naked chest and abs, her nails scratching lightly at his skin.

Logan withdrew his hand from between Rory's legs and cupped her face with both of his hands. Logan slowed the kiss down, making it softer; he gently took Rory's bottom lip between his lips and caressed it. Logan only broke the kiss when he reached down and pulled the tank top off Rory's body.

Logan sat up and placed both of his hands on Rory's hips and started to pull her shorts and underwear off. Rory lifted her hips to help Logan in his efforts. Logan threw the clothing across the room so it could join the tank top on the floor.

Logan took a moment to admire Rory as she laid naked on the sheets, her body bathed in the moonlight. She looked so beautiful, from the swell of her breast, her still flat stomach, the curve of her hips and her long creamy legs. Logan was looking forward to watching Rory's body change as their child grew within her. He hoped she would be joining him soon in Palo Alto. He didn't want to miss any moment of the pregnancy, Rory's job-circumstances permitting.

Rory watched as the color of Logan's eyes changed with his thoughts. At first they had shown nothing but lust, but then they softened and his lust gave way to something deeper. Rory sat up and cupped Logan's face, his eye's stayed on her flat stomach until she kissed him. Rory drew back from the kiss and found Logan looking into her eyes, there was no need for words any more. The night had been full of words, some good and some bad. Rory felt they had shared all of the words they needed for one night; it was time for them to reaffirm their love for each other, physically.

Rory leaned in again and kissed Logan long and slow, Rory groaned as Logan's tongue entered her mouth, she straddled his lap and felt Logan's silk encased erection brush against her stomach. Logan groaned at the contact. Rory ran her hands over Logan's warm back; she ran her fingers down his spine until Rory's hand touched the silk of Logan's boxers. Rory slid her hands under the waist band, her hands rested on the top of his ass.

Logan lifted his hips giving Rory enough room to slid her hands lower down his ass, her palms cupped his cheeks fully now, she squeezed his muscled ass before she went to the task of removing Logan's only piece of clothing.

Once Rory had finished undressing him she went back to straddling his waist. Logan placed his hands on Rory's hips and lifted her up; he positioned his head at her entrance. Rory looked down at Logan as she slowly settled her weight down on Logan's thick, hard penis. They hadn't done enough foreplay for Rory to be taking Logan within her so soon, but she enjoyed the feeling of pain as her body stretched to accommodate him. Logan could feel his thickness catching on Rory's walls.

Once Rory had taken Logan all the way within her, she stilled her movements. She took a moment to enjoy the feeling of being full. The feeling of their naked bodies pressed together.

Logan rested his hands on Rory's hips, guiding her movements as she started to rock her body up and down his penis. The more Rory moved the better it felt, the deep ache within her body gave way to waves of pleasure.

Logan's breathing started to deepen as Rory's entrance grew wetter and more open. Logan found Rory's lips again and he kissed her deeply, his tongue stroked Rory's, the action mimicked what was happening below their waists.

Rory broke the kiss when she started to have problems breathing; she buried her face in curve of Logan's neck and shoulder. Her hands wrapped around his body, one hand rested on Logan's back the other found the nape of his neck.

Logan took a couple of deep breaths trying to calm himself, in this position Rory always felt incredibly tight, she could bring him so quickly from this angle. The only disadvantage was that Rory never got the same amount of stimulation as Logan, she would not come in this position and Logan, who had never been a selfish lover, would see to it that Rory would come.

Logan moved one hand from Rory's hip and ran it up her back and along the arm that was wrapped around his neck. Logan drew Rory's hand forward; he ran his lips over her wrist and fingers, until Rory lifted her head up and met his eyes. Once Logan could see that he had her full attention he moved Rory's hand down between their joined bodies until Rory's fingers brushed her own center. Rory shuddered at the sensation.

Logan had to guide Rory's fingers at first; she had always been reluctant at pleasuring herself in front of him. Logan found it endearing that the woman who had taken him within every orifice of her body, was self-conscious about letting him watch her pleasure herself.

Rory let her inhibitions fall away and she took over pleasuring herself, she leaned away from Logan's body changing the angle and intensifying the sensation of Logan moving within her body. Rory started taking in shaky breaths as she drew closer to coming.

Logan felt the moment Rory came, she stopped breathing and her muscles pulsed around his hard penis. Logan pulled Rory back, flush against his sweat covered body, her hard nipples rubbed against his chest. Logan let his control go, and came deep within Rory's body, he held her tight, and waited for them to both come back down to earth.

Logan laid back taking Rory with him, his penis still lodged deep within her. Rory rested her head on Logan's shoulder; she could feel his heart thundering in his chest, vibrating along her own body, matching her own heart beat.

Logan waited for both of their hearts to calm down and for their breathing to come under control before he rolled over and laid Rory down. He withdrew his still semi-erect penis from Rory. His penis was covered with their combined fluids which cooled on his skin in the air-conditioned room. The sensation sent a shiver up his spine.

Sex without a condom was always so much more messy and intimate than sex with one. Rory was the first girl Logan had slept with without protection since he was a stupid teenager.

Logan had a scare when he was sixteen. One of his one-night stands had become pregnant. At the time, she had sworn she was on the pill, but after the event she confessed she was not. Thankfully, Logan had not been the father, but after that incident, Logan had actually paid heed to his father's words that no unexpected heirs were to be brought into the family.

The words had stuck until Rory had come into his life. Logan trusted that Rory would never use him like that. Logan knew Rory becoming pregnant had nothing to do with them being remiss in using contraception. They may not have always used a condom but Logan had never seen Rory miss a pill, even when traveling, Rory would set her alarm so that she would take the pill at the same time regardless of the time zone they were in. This pregnancy was meant to be, this child ensured that Logan and Rory would always have a connection now. They would be forced to work things out no matter what.

Logan knew a child would not solve the problems of a relationship, but a child would force them to deal with their problems instead of walking away from them.

Logan kissed Rory's lips and drew slowly away from her. He was reluctant to lose contact with her, but he knew Rory would not want to be naked in her mother's house longer than necessary.

Logan retrieved their clothing from the floor; Logan slipped his boxers back on before making his way back to Rory. He knelt on the bed and motioned for Rory to sit up. Rory sat up; her body still tingled with the aftershocks of her orgasm. Rory let Logan dress her - there was something incredibly intimate about allowing Logan to dress her, it was more intimate than his undressing her. Logan placed random kisses on her body before her skin was covered with clothing.

Once Rory was fully clothed, Logan lifted the crumpled sheets, motioning for Rory to get under. When Rory was safely under the blankets, Logan joined her, he drew Rory in against his body, and the pair fell into a deep and restful sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

Lorelai was awaken early in the morning by the sounds of Rory suffering from morning sickness. The sound brought back a myriad of memories. Despite the drama Lorelai had had to endure during her pregnancy, she had a lot of good memories. Her most precious one being the first time she had felt Rory move inside her, it was like butterfly wings were brushing her skin from the inside. It was the first time Lorelai hadn't felt alone. At the sound of Rory retching again, Lorelai remembered the less fond memories of being pregnant: the morning sickness, constant backaches, sore feet and sleepless nights -- just to name a few.

It was close to nine o'clock and Lorelai hadn't heard Rory or Logan make a noise since Rory had exited the _vomitorium_. Lorelai decided to let them sleep as long as they wanted; they had had a stressful night and deserved all the rest they could get. Lorelai had grown tired of tiptoeing around the house; everything she did seemed excessively noisy -- filling the coffee pot with water, knocking a lamp over in the living room, accidentally slamming the door shut after getting the morning paper.

Lorelai knew that she would not be able to maintain the level of quiet needed to allow Rory and Logan to rest so she decided to take Paul Anka for his walk.

Lorelai was at the door when she attempted to put her sunglasses on her head while she tried to hold on Paul Anka's leash and to open the door at the same time. After the lamp-breaking incident, Lorelai should have known that she did not have the coordination to pull off the multi-tasking. Lorelai dropped her glasses and almost tripped over Paul Anka. The door swung open as Lorelai crouched down to pick up her glasses, Paul Anka barked once and then proceeded to growl, Lorelai looked up to see what caused the normally placid Paul Anka to show signs of aggression.

Mitchum Huntzberger was standing on her front porch. He looked out of place in a five-thousand dollar business suit and black Italian loafers. He stood frozen, his hand poised in the air as if he was about to knock on the door.

Lorelai was in shock to see Mitchum standing before her. "Ohhh, No!" Lorelai stood quickly and was trying to picture what a fight stance looked like. Lorelai had visions of Bruce Lee with muscles flexed and making strange noises, or Daniel Sun doing the crane. None of these images seemed particularly dignified so she took the classic Mom stance -- arms crossed under her breasts and her face set and her eyes sharp.

Paul Anka sat down by Lorelai's feet and continued to growl.

Mitchum felt confused at the greeting Lorelai had given him as he hadn't said anything yet. "Excuse me?"

"No, you can't be here. No, scrap that. You're not welcome here, get off my property." Lorelai could not believe that Mitchum had the nerve to show up at her house after the way he had treated Rory and especially after last night. She moved herself more firmly into the doorway, ensuring that Mitchum would not be able to enter the house without going through her and since Lorelai was on absolute protective-Mom mode there was no way Mitchum would get past her.

Last night after Rory had filled Lorelai in on the happenings at the Huntzberger's, it had taken a solid fifteen minutes of pleading by Rory to convince Lorelai not to go and hunt down the Huntzbergers and kill them in their sleep. Rory had very rationally pointed out that people who commit murder normally end up in prison, and Lorelai would not look good in an orange jumpsuit. That and the fact that Rory refused to tell Lorelai where the Huntzbergers lived ensured that no _bergercide_ would be occurring that night, or any night in the near future.

The only positive side was that Lorelai had invented a new word, _bergercide._ Bergercide was the technical term for when one wanted to commit justifiable homicide on a member of the Huntzberger family. Rory liked the term so much so that she planned on using it many times in the future.

Mitchum stood on Lorelai's quaint, but picturesque front porch, he was flabbergasted. No one told _him_ no.

Lorelai was not impressed with the great Mitchum Huntzberger. For a man in publishing, his vocabulary and speaking skills were severely lacking. "Are you dumb? I told you to get the hell off my property." Lorelai moved her hand to the door, ready to slam it on Mitchum's face.

Mitchum found his voice after being insulted, "I just came to speak to my son."

Lorelai had forgotten she was trying not to wake Rory and Logan, her voice rose with her anger. "I don't give a flying leap if you came to talk to Santa Claus. You have caused enough damage to my family." Lorelai gestured wildly towards her daughter's room, "My daughter is pregnant and if you think that I'm going to sit back and let you yell at her some more then you have another thing coming."

Paul Anka barked in agreement.

Mitchum took a deep breath, and mentally counted to ten. He and Shira had spent a lot of time last night reflecting on their relationship with Logan and their future daughter-in-law. They had decided that they wanted a better relationship with their grandchild, and hoped in the process bridges could be built between themselves and the younger generation.

Shira had refused to come with Mitchum to Stars Hollow; it seemed that the impervious Shira Huntzberger was capable of feeling shame and regret. It also seemed she was a coward and was not able to face the people that she had wronged. This morning when Mitchum had resigned himself to flying solo on this mercy mission, he had sworn he would do everything that he could to avoid a confrontation. Of course at the time, he had not factored Lorelai Gilmore into the equation. A mistake he was not planning on repeating. "I have no intentions of yelling at anyone."

"Ohhh that's right, you'll coolly and calmly tell it like it is. You don't B.S. Well, guess what? Neither do I. You are nothing but a self-absorbed, self-gratifying, judgmental bully. Not only are you a terrible business man with no people skills, you are also a poor excuse for a father."

Mitchum made a calming gesture with his hands, both for the sake of Lorelai and himself. He was still attempting to stay calm but Lorelai was seriously testing his self-control, his ego was screaming out to be let loose. "I just came to talk."

"I'm sure you did." Lorelai did not hide the skepticism from her voice. "Think of some insults that you missed last night? Before you get started let me give a few insults of my own. You have your head so far up your own ass that you can't see what a dick you really are." Lorelai had to pause to allow Paul Anka to bark again. It appeared that he agreed with everything that Lorelai was saying. "You have absolutely no regard for others, nor do you take the time out of what I am sure is a busy schedule to get to know people and their qualities."

Mitchum ignored the crude language, he had a feeling that Lorelai was talking about more than last night. "You still can't be going on about what happened at the _Eagle Gazette_?"

"Damn right, I am." Lorelai had been dying to pull a Gordon Ramsey on Mitchum over what he had done to Rory and now seemed like the perfect opportunity. "Because of _you_, my daughter and I didn't talk for months. Because of _you_ my daughter almost lost her way, thank God she is better than you ever gave her credit for."

Mitchum had had enough, "Now, hold it right there, it's because of _me_ that she went on to achieve what she did. She needed a push and that's what I gave her."

"Oh! My god! You pompous ass… you actually believe that. You pushed her over the edge and you did it deliberately. She was never the ingénue that you painted her to be, she has just as much drive and determination as you, she just isn't an ass about it. You credit her with the changes you have seen in Logan, well you were right to because she showed him that he didn't have to be an ass-wipe like you to be successful." Lorelai was really wishing that she could come up with some insults that didn't involve the word _ass_, but Mitchum was just such an… _ass _it was affecting her vocabulary.

Mitchum took a step closer to Lorelai, pointing a finger at her, his voice deepened with anger, "Don't you dare judge me."

Lorelai was not impressed with Mitchum's attempt to physically intimidate her, nether was Paula Anka, he stood up and growled, flashing his teeth. Mitchum looked down at the growling dog wondering just how dangerous the canine really was. "Why not? It's not like you have extended that courtesy to my family. So why should I extended it to yours?"

"You have no right to talk about things you don't understand."

"Oh, I do understand. I understand that image is the most important thing, above everything else. Let me tell you something, image means nothing if you are alone." Lorelai saw Mitchum flinch; clearly she had hit a nerve, a nerve that she was planning on exploiting. Mitchum Huntzberger deserved to be taken down a peg or two and Lorelai was more than happy to be the one to do it. "You sit there on your high horse issuing your proclamations to the peasants on the land. You preach of obligations, but what about your obligations to your son?"

Mitchum would have liked nothing more than to refute everything that Lorelai had said, but standing in the front of a woman who had left everything she had known to pursue a life of her own, his arguments seemed weak. Nevertheless, being the man he was, Mitchum had to try. "I lived up to my obligations; I worked hard to ensure Logan could have the lifestyle he has been accustomed to."

"And what about the obligation to be there for birthdays and Christmas?" Lorelai had grown up in a house where business, financial and social obligations took priority over being happy. She would have given up one den, two bedrooms and three bathrooms if it meant that her parents would have been home for her birthdays and Christmas, she would have done it in a heartbeat. "What about the obligation to give a damn about your child's happiness."

"I care." For emphasis Mitchum pointed at his chest, it was true he did care. He wanted nothing but the best for his children, he had believed the best could only be obtained with money. He had never stopped to consider the best would have been for him to have more of a presence in his children's lives.

"Well, you have a funny way of showing it."

"You think that I don't love my son?"

"I never said that," Lorelai didn't doubt that somewhere in Mitchum's black, little heart he loved his children. "But do you know your son? Did you ever take the time out of your busy schedule to actually get to know him?"

Mitchum had no idea how he had entered this conversation with a complete stranger, what he did know was that he wanted out of it, now. "I really didn't come here for a confrontation, least of all with you."

"What did you seriously think was going to happen? Did you genuinely expect a warm welcome here?" Lorelai stood with her hands on her hips, waiting for an answer.

What had Mitchum expected when he planned on coming? He honestly had no idea what he had expected, he had planned on speaking to his son and that was it. He really had not thought beyond that.

"I just came to speak to my son."

"Good luck with that, since you don't have a snowball's chance in hell of getting into this house to speak to him. You'll have to find another venue. Now for the last time get off of my property or I'll call the police." Of course this was a hollow threat. Chip and Chuck, the town's two policemen, did not start work until after midday on Fridays.

"You can't stop me from seeing my son."

"I can if he's on my property and especially if it involves my daughter." Lorelai crossed her arms over her chest; she knew that there was no way for Mitchum to argue his way around that logic.

"I'm not leaving until I see him."

"Well, I don't think he wants to see you." Lorelai snapped back.

"Then we seem to be at a stalemate."

"The only thing stale here is that fact that you are still standing at my front door."

"He won't leave, Lorelai, until he gets what he wants," Lorelai jumped at the sound of Logan's voice coming from behind her.

"Well, he will just have to rot where he stands because there is no way that I will be giving up first."

Mitchum made a noise as if he was about to say something, Lorelai looked back at him, "Shhh!"

Logan struggled to suppress his smile at the sight of Lorelai _shhhing _his father. "Believe me, Lorelai, I know how stubborn Rory is and I know that she gets that from you. But having someone at your front door twenty-four seven is going to get old fast."

Mitchum went to speak again. "Shhh!" Lorelai cut Mitchum off again, he was not impressed. Lorelai gave Mitchum a critical once over, it was the kind of look someone gave a car that they really didn't want but that it was all they could afford. "I could put him in a red and black suit and he would be my very own doorman."

Lorelai had instinctively known that Mitchum was about to speak, "For the last time, shhh!"

Mitchum had no idea why, but he found himself actually giving up trying to speak. His input obviously was not needed for this particular part of the conversation.

"But then you would have to feed and give him water." Logan once again found himself needing to suppress a smile as Lorelai cut his father down again. Logan had never realized just how much Rory took after her mother. Life was never going to be dull that as for sure.

"Only if I wanted him to live."

"As valid as that point is, I don't think that it would work. He would look terrible in red."

"Okay, so we can make the uniform completely out of red."

"Lorelai, you don't have to do this… protect me from my father."

Lorelai looked back at Logan, she was careful not to move from the doorway unless Mitchum tried to barge his way in. Up until that moment Lorelai had hoped that Logan had not heard the whole conversation that she had had with Mitchum, but that one little line indicated that Logan had heard most if not all of the little confrontation. "Well, I threw you in for free. I've wanted to yell at this _dummkopf_ for a long time."

Logan sighed, "It isn't going to solve anything."

"Yeah well, it's making me feel better."

"Believe me, I know how cathartic it is to yell at him, but if you keep yelling it's going to wake Rory up and I would really prefer it if she didn't know he was here." Mitchum felt insulted that Logan, his son was talking about him like he wasn't there.

Logan moved closer to the door so he was standing next to Lorelai, "Why don't you go check on her and I'll walk my dad off." Lorelai was hesitant to let Logan be alone with his father, but in the end she relented. Logan had to fight his own battles.

Lorelai made way for Logan who looked back before closing the door behind him. Lorelai couldn't fight Logan's battles for him, but she could offer him a reassuring smile.

Logan nodded at Lorelai's sign of support before he stepped outside and closed the door behind him; he walked to the edge of the porch and out into the early morning sunlight. He had heard just about everything that Lorelai had said to his father, he had always known Lorelai didn't approve of him wholeheartedly. But despite her concerns about him, Lorelai had stood in the face of one of the most frightening people on the planet and defended him. Perhaps in time Lorelai would trust him with Rory's heart.

"What are you doing here, Dad?"

"Last night didn't go how I… how your Mother and I would have liked it to." Mitchum's voice came from right beside Logan. Logan had known his father would follow him; he stepped off the porch and heard his father continue to follow him.

Logan felt strongly calm, he was all argued-out from the previous night and with the air cleared with Rory, his issues with his parents did not seem as important. "Well, that was your doing not mine."

"Bull, you came in ready for confrontation."

"Because that's all I get from you," Logan sounded tired.

Logan sounded so tired that Mitchum feared it was too late, that Logan had already turned his back on them. Mitchum had promised Shira he would make sure that they would still have access and be a part of Logan and Rory's lives. Mitchum planned on not breaking this promise to his wife – a promise which was perhaps the most important promise that he would have to keep. "Logan, I know that we haven't always had the best communication in the past. I know that I could have handled things differently, but I raised you the only way I knew how."

The pair found themselves standing in front of the town car that had brought Mitchum to Stars Hollow. The driver would normally be waiting to open the car door for Mitchum, but today the driver had very wisely decided to stay in the car, away from any arguments. It was also not the first time the driver had used this self-preservation technique.

"Dad, it doesn't matter." Logan was bone-weary of the constant arguments between him and his family. He knew that in order to have a healthy relationship with his child he would have to let go of his issues with his father. On the bright side, he did have a yard stick of what not to do. Logan knew in the years to come, if he was ever unsure of what to do, all he had to do was recall what his father had done or what his father would do, and then do the exact opposite and he would be on the right track.

Mitchum knew what Logan had said was only a partial truth; he knew it mattered a great deal that they had had a poor relationship. "Logan, I want you to come back to the company."

Logan looked back at the house, where Rory was safely asleep." No, Dad, I can't." Logan wasn't surprised at the offer, he had been expecting it.

"Logan, don't be ridiculous. You have responsibilities now. You can't just flounder around; you have a family to support."

Logan remained calm. "And I will support them, in my own way." Logan ran his hand over his face and though his hair. "Dad, is this the only reason you came? To offer me a job?" Logan, despite his earlier words, foolishly hoped there was more to the visit than a job offer. He knew he would never have a healthy relationship with his father, but it didn't stop him from wanting one.

"I just..." Mitchum changed what he was originally going to say, "Don't shut us out, Logan. We would really like a chance to be a family… to get to know our grandchild."

These were the words Logan had been longing to hear his whole life -- to know that his existence was more than just an obligation. The strange thing was that now that Logan had heard the words he felt that they didn't really matter anymore. For all his faults and imperfections, his father was who he was and Logan needed to accept that, and maybe in return, Mitchum would accept Logan for who he was. "It's not that easy, Dad. You crossed the line with Rory last night, Mom in particular. That's not just going to go away. You need to apologize and you need to mean it." Logan saw his father look back at the house. There was no way he was going to allow his father anywhere near Rory. "Not today though, I don't think Rory can take any more stress."

"But, she's okay?" It had never even occurred to Mitchum to check on Rory's well-being.

"She's okay. The doctor said that her blood pressure is a little high, but she's fine, the baby is fine."

"So, when is she going to have the baby? I would like to get started on the terms of the trust for my grandchild." Now that Mitchum knew that Rory would be fine he found himself slipping into the much more comfortable role of being a business man. "And of course, we'll need the pre-nup written, I assume that Richard will be the one to talk to about that."

"Dad, stop… I'm not going to talk to you about any of these things."

"Don't be a fool, Logan. You need a pre-nup, this isn't just about you, you know."

"Dad, that's not what I'm talking about."

"Then what?"

"I can't ask Rory to be involved with you until you make amends." Logan knew it would be a hard task to get Rory to willingly interact with his parents again but he also knew that Rory was an incredibly forgiving person. He hoped a thoughtful gesture from his parents would start the healing process. Logan opened the car door for his father signaling that the conversation was over. Mitchum reluctantly stepped into the car. Logan was about to shut the car door when he decided to give his father some advice he wished he had been given when dealing with Rory. "Just as a tip, Rory can't be bought, if you want to apologize you need to put some thought into it." Logan slammed the car door, turned his back on his father and walked away.

******************

Lorelai watched as Logan stepped out onto the front porch and closed the door behind him. She listened as Logan and Mitchum's voices started to fade. Only when she was sure that Logan was leading Mitchum away from the house did she leave her post at the front door to check on Rory.

Lorelai knocked on the door softly, Rory did not answer nor did Lorelai hear her stir.

Lorelai opened the door quietly and peeked into the room. Rory, her baby, was fast asleep bathed in the soft sunlight filtering through the drawn curtains.

Lorelai felt a great sense of sorrow at the sight of her sleeping daughter. Rory was going to be a mother in her own right soon. She was going to be moving all the way to California to be with her fiancé. Lorelai would no longer be the most important person in her daughter's life. Lorelai knew that that was the way things were meant to be: Rory was supposed to grow up, move on and have her own life. It was a sign Lorelai had done a good job as a parent; that her child was going out into the world to live her own life. But as a mother who was very close to her daughter, Lorelai felt that she was not meant to do it yet, it all seemed so soon.

"You know its creepy watching someone while they sleep." Rory had been aware that her mother had been looking at her for the last five minutes. She had originally planned on finding out how long it would take for her mother to say something but she had gone impatient to wait any longer.

"Well, I'm running out of time to be Hedy Carlson."

Rory opened her eyes to find her Mom leaning against the doorjamb, her arms crossed over her chest. "Mom, we are already freakishly alike, you don't need to stalk me."

"I'm not stalking you." Lorelai stepped into the room, Rory moved back from the edge of the bed, making room for her mother to sit down.

"No? Then what are you doing?"

"Stealing time."

Rory sat up in bed, sweeping her bangs to the side, "I don't get it."

"Rory, our time is over. The Gilmore Girls are no more."

"Mom, what are you talking about?"

"Rory, we are facing the end of the Gilmore Girl dynasty, the division of a kingdom if you will."

Rory was starting to understand what her mother was talking about. "Please continue, Zahi."

"Well, you will be leaving the Matriarch," Lorelai paused, putting the most hoity toity look she could muster on her face, "_Moi_, to establish your own kingdom in the far away and strange land known as California."

"No, I'm not leaving. I'm going on an expedition, with the intent of establishing a colony on the left coast in honor of my Matriarch, and one day I will go back home, uniting our two kingdoms, bringing in a new era of joy and happiness."

Lorelai smiled at her daughter sadly, she appreciated the attempt at humor, but it wasn't enough to take away her woe. Lorelai pulled her daughter into her arms, "I'm gonna miss you, Kid."

"I know." Rory nodded her head, her face buried in her mother's neck.

Lorelai pulled back and wiped the tears from her eyes, the pair sat in silence for a few moments, "So, what are your plans for the day?"

"I want to visit Lane and we're supposed to meet up with Honor at lunch time, other than that my schedule is free and easy."

"What about your dad?" Lorelai had been avoiding the subject of Christopher, but ignoring Christopher was as simple as ignoring an elephant in the living room.

"What about him?" Rory chewed her bottom lip.

"When are you going to tell him that he is going to be a granddad?"

"Well, I was hoping that you would tell him," Rory flashed her bright blue eyes at her mother, hoping that Lorelai would not be able to resist her patented Rory Gilmore look.

"No way! I had to tell him about you, you have to tell him about the mini you."

"Mom, I can't do it again, I can't stand to be yelled at again."

"Well, you don't have a choice… this is part of being an adult." Lorelai cut off Rory's protests before they could be made. "Okay, how about this… I'll call your Dad and make him promise not to yell at you then you can tell him. Rory, he deserves to hear it from you."

"I know."

Lorelai got up from her daughter's bed and fetched the phone from the living room; Lorelai dialed Christopher's number from memory. The phone rang briefly before he answered.

"Hello,"Christopher had just seen GiGi off to school; he was sitting in his home office about to start work.

"Hi, Chris, it's Lorelai." Lorelai started to walk through the hallway to the living room; she wanted to have this conversation away from Rory.

"Hey, Lor, what's up?"Christopher was surprised to hear Lorelai call him out of the blue, they had yet to reestablish their friendship since the divorce.

Lorelai was insulted; Christopher was making it sound like she was always the bearer of bad news. "Why does something have to be up?"

"Because you don't make social calls."

"Chris…" Lorelai was desperately trying to come up with an explanation of why she only called when there was drama.

"It's okay, Lor, I get it. We just need some time." There was a pause; they didn't know what to say to one another. "So, why did you call?"

"Because something is up."

"Huh! I knew it." Lorelai could hear the joy of being right in Christopher's voice. "You were about to go into a rant about how you don't just call when there is trouble brewing, if I hadn't cut you off, how long would it have taken you to try to convince me that the reason you were calling had nothing to do with something being up?"

"Ten, fifteen minutes tops."

"Well, since I saved us all of this time, I think that you should get to the point." Chris kept his voice light to insult Lorelai.

"Our daughter has something to tell you… it's big, really big." Lorelai started walking towards Rory's room.

"So put her on so she can tell me."

"Before I do, I need you to make a promise."

"What kind of promise?"

"Like no matter what she tells you, you will stay calm. You cannot yell at her for any reason. You cannot give her a hard time. If you give her any trouble or make her feel bad about this…"

"Okay, geez I promise that I will stay as calm as if I was on Xanax." Christopher was intrigued; he had not had a buildup like this for…well twenty-three years.

"Okay, I'm putting her on now, but you break this promise I will break your arm."

"It's okay, Lorelai, I get it… very important, don't make her feel bad." The wheels in Christopher's head started to turn, "Hey, Lorelai, she's not going to tell me that she's…"

"Here's Rory." Lorelai cut Christopher off, she knew where he was going and she didn't think that she had it in her to lie to him, not about this.

Lorelai passed the phone to her daughter and left the room, closing the door behind her. Rory needed to do this alone.

"Hi! Dad."

"Hey, Kiddo, your Mom eluded that you had something to tell me."

"Yes and I need you to promise that no matter what I tell you… you will stay calm."

"Gee, whatever it is, it must be big. I've already promised your Mom that I would stay calm upon pain of death."

"Well, you know how Logan asked me to marry him and I said no?"

"Yeah, I was there during the proposal… the salmon puffs were also especially good that night."

"Well, due to certain events, I got in contact with Logan and we have not only reconciled, but I have also accepted his proposal."

"That's fantastic! Congratulations!" Christopher felt genuine in his congratulations; he liked Logan, from the second time that they had met right up until he had broken his daughter's heart.

"Thank you."

"Rory, you know that I like Logan, I thought that I had made that pretty clear in the past."

Rory crossed her legs and sat up straighter in bed. She felt like she should have good posture for what was to come. "Yes, you have."

"Then why would you think that this news would cause me to get upset?"

"Because I haven't finished telling you everything yet."

"Well, go on, I'm listening."

Rory took a deep breath, "Dad, I'm pregnant." And just like everyone else, Christopher had been stunned into silence.

"Wow, I always thought that I understood Richard's reaction, but I didn't till now, not really."

"Dad, don't forget that you made a promise."

"I'm not forgetting… it's just that I'm grappling with this overwhelming desire to kill Logan right now."

"Dad, you just finished telling me that you liked Logan."

"I know I did, and I'm sure in time that I will again. I just need a little time… How much time do I have until I'm grandfather?"

"I'm due sometime the early part of February."

"Wow, that's only like seven months notice."

Rory nodded her head, "Yep."

"Well, it's more notice than I had for impending fatherhood."

There was a long silence and the longer her father didn't speak the more Rory's insecurities grew. "Dad, you're not disappointed in me, are you?"

"Rory, you are a lot of things to me... a daughter who is intelligent, amazing, beautiful but you haven't been and never will be a disappointment to me."

"And Logan, you don't really feel like killing him, do you? Because he's still recovering from Grandpa's threat."

"Rory, I can't really be mad at him for something that I had done myself in the past. And besides, I am going to have a grandchild whom I know will be so incredible. Logan's a smart guy; he has proven that by picking you. I just hope that he is smart enough not to make the same mistakes that I did."

Rory knew what her father was alluding to; her emotional wounds were still raw from last night. Rory didn't know if she wanted to have this conversation with her father, she had accepted him for who he was with his flaws and all. "Dad, you don't have to …"

"Yes I do, Rory. I regret that I wasn't there for you like I should have been. I let you down. I'm just lucky that your Mom is incredible enough that I wasn't missed."

"Dad, you were always missed." Rory sounded so sad; she really wished that her dad had been around more.

Chris's mournful tone matched that of his daughter's. "I wish that wasn't true."

"No, you don't."

Christopher no longer knew what to say, so he changed the subject. "Rory, I want to pay for the wedding."

"You don't need to do that, Dad."

"Yes I do. Isn't there some kind of tradition where the father of the bride is expected to pay for the wedding?"

"I do recall something about that archaic tradition. Dad, like I said, you don't have to. Logan and I don't even know what kind of wedding we're going to have yet."

"I know I don't have to. I want to. Besides, think about it, if I pay for the wedding then Emily and Shira won't be able to have a say in it because they're not paying for it."

Rory took a moment to contemplate her father's words. "We might actually get a wedding that we would enjoy. Ooo… it could have a spring-fair theme, with rides and a hay bale maze and cotton candy, funnel cakes and corn dogs."

"Hey, don't forget the acrobats. Not the cheap kind either. The _Circus de Soleil_ kind, nothing is too good for my girl."

"I'll talk to Logan about your offer."

"Okay, Kid."

Rory smiled, she liked the sound of that, "Okay."

Rory had spoken to her father for another fifteen minutes before she ended the call. Christopher kept his promise, he had stayed calm and by the end of the call he was almost tolerating the thought of being in the same room as Logan without eviscerating him.

Rory felt good enough that by the end of the phone call, she felt motivated to get up and out of bed. Rory could smell the aroma of wonderful coffee coming from the kitchen. Her mother was just being cruel; she knew Rory had taken a stance not to drink coffee while pregnant.

Rory opened her bedroom door and was greeted by the sight of sheets and sheets of white paper plastered all around the walls with captions from what appeared to be studies on the effects of caffeine on pregnancies.

"Now, I know that you said that you were not going to drink anything with caffeine while pregnant, which means that you are ether switching to decaf…" Lorelai makes a face of disgust, "… or giving up coffee all together that I decided to do a little research. I could not find one report showing that if the consumption of caffeine is kept to two-hundred milligrams per day that there will be an ill effect on the unborn child. I took the liberty of printing these reports off so that you could read them in your own time."

"Two-hundred milligrams? Really?"

"Yep," Lorelai took a sip of her own coffee, with a smug look on her face.

"That means that I could have one cup of coffee per day."

"Or two small ones."

Rory sat down at the kitchen table and started reading the reports; she needed to see it with her own eyes that she could have the elixir of life.

******************

Logan had stayed standing on the front porch of the Lorelai's house until long after his father's car had driven out of sight. Finally, he walked back into the house and entered the kitchen. "Hey, Ace."

"Hey," Rory sounded unhappy, sitting and staring at what appeared to be a small cup of take-out coffee from Luke's. Logan knew that Rory had not picked up the beverage herself; it must have been Lorelai in an effort to convince Rory not to give up coffee. It also appeared that Lorelai had constructed a question mark next to the coffee out of coins, enough coins to purchase a second small cup of coffee.

"What's the matter?" Logan was pretty sure he knew what the problem was. Rory had confessed that she was not going to drink coffee while pregnant. From the moment Rory had told him about her plan he had had his doubts on how firm Rory's resolve was.

"I don't know what to do. There are dozens of studies all saying that they cannot find any proof that 200 milligrams of caffeine or less is harmful during pregnancy. But what if that's the point? What if they just haven't found any proof that it's harmful? On the other hand, look at my Mom, she drank coffee like Jim Morrison at an open bar when she was pregnant with me, and I turned out fine. No extra toes or anything." Rory had delivered her entire speech with her eyes glued to the cup in front of her. She didn't know what to do, then suddenly she had an idea, she turned to Logan, "Tell me what to do? To drink or not to drink that is the question."

Logan smiled; he had been right, "I'm not telling you what to do. It's your body."

"But you're the father," Rory retorted.

"Ace, I'm not telling you what to do." This time Logan said it more firmly. He knew that Rory would not drink coffee if she honestly believed that it would be bad for the baby, no matter how hard it would be on her. Logan sat down on the chair closest to Rory. Clearly Rory was not going to leave the table until the matter was resolved.

Rory groaned. She could not understand why Logan would not have any opinion on her dilemma. He was, after all, the father of their child who would be greatly affected if she drunk caffeinated coffee.

Logan could see that Rory was working on a second wind; he knew that he had to distract her or he was going to get in trouble. "Where's Lorelai?"

Rory answered but she didn't look up from the coffee, "At the Inn. Sookie called about a problem with too many carrots, or not enough of them." Rory folded her arms on the table and rested her chin on her arms. She sighed loudly.

_Wow_, Logan thought. He must have been really distracted by his father to not notice Lorelai leaving the house.

Logan realized that Rory was still focused on the coffee; he knew that he needed something more interesting to distract Rory other than Lorelai's whereabouts. "So, my Dad was here."

Rory bolted upright, "In Stars Hollow?" Logan nodded. "What did he want?"

"He wanted to apologize and he offered me a job. I thought it was a bit insulting in the way he offered it. He also asked that we don't shut them out of our lives."

Rory was beyond shocked to hear that Mitchum Huntzberger wanted to apologize. Rory had always thought that there were better odds that Rob Snyder would make a good humorous movie. "What did you say?"

"Well, I turned down the job offer; I'm not running back to Daddy." Logan grabbed Rory's hands and held them both in his. "I'll support us, Ace… I'm not relying on him for that. It's not like he has something to hold over my head."

Rory looked at their joint hands; she could hear the pride in Logan's voice. "You won't be doing this alone, Logan. I'll be working part time and I can work from home for the most part, I can work full time if I have to."

"You don't need to, Ace. I'm not making a lot from my job but with the income distribution from my trust fund, we have more than enough. You only have to work as much as you want to."

"You're sure? Because I don't mind."

Logan pulled on Rory's hand forcing her to stand or fall off the chair. Once Rory was standing, Logan drew Rory onto his lap so she was sitting sideways. He wrapped his arms around her waist. "Well, I do mind. We agreed that only one of us would work full time and for the moment that person is me."

Rory could see the look of determination in Logan's eyes; she knew not to argue with that look, at least for the moment. So she turned back to her cup of coffee. "Do you think that it would be appropriate to flip a coin on the matter?" Rory leaned forward reaching for a coin on the table.

"Not if it's a quarter."

* * *

Okay guys, we are getting to the business end of this story, there are only about 4 or 5 chapters left. But who knows, my muse may have a moment of inspiration and find a new point for me to explore or maybe she will want me to move on to the next story that I have been working on, (the new story is going to be a love triangle between Logan, Rory and.......... you will just have to wait and see.)

I know some of you wish that this story could go on forever, but I'm just not that good, but I do plan on this story have a proper ending unlike the show. So if there is something you are dying for me to address in the story now is the time to speak up. Or maybe you just want leave me a review by pressing that pretty little button just below, every review really does add to the creative juices.


	13. Chapter 13

The only sound coming from the room was the occasional clatter of cutlery hitting plates, and the sound of the pages of the newspaper being turned. It was close to ten o'clock in the morning, the Gilmore house should have been buzzing with its normal daily activity, but both Richard and Emily had started their day late and were both reluctant to rush to their normal routines of work, functions and appointments.

Emily pursed her lips in disapproval at the sound of Richard sighing over his cereal for the umpteenth time, "Oh! For heaven's sake, Richard, either say something or keep the sighing to yourself."

Richard looked up from his morning paper, he had read the same line three times and still had no idea what he was reading and it was not because it was written in a foreign language. "I'm sorry, Emily, if the sounds of my thinking are annoying you. I shall refrain from thinking in your presence in the future."

Emily was annoyed to see Richard turn his attention back to his cereal and newspaper without any further explanation.

"Well?" Emily said impatiently.

"Well, what?" Richard did not look up from his paper; he had now read the same line five times.

"What were you thinking about that caused so much noise?"

Richard looked up from his paper, "Emily, you gave me the choice of speaking about it or keeping quiet. I chose to keep quiet." Richard, once again, turned back to his paper.

"Don't be ridiculous, clearly you need to talk about whatever is on your mind."

Richard looked at Emily, "You know what is on my mind?"

"No, I don't, Richard. I am not Edgar Cayce, or some sideshow freak who can tell you what color your underwear is."

"Come, come, Emily, you don't need any psychic abilities to know what color my underwear is."

"That is hardly the point, Richard."

"Well, what is your point, Emily?" Richard was starting to sound exasperated, he just wanted have his breakfast and read his paper in peace, and just maybe he would be able to comprehend this sentence the sixth time he read it.

"My point is…" Emily sounded terse, "…that clearly you have a lot on your mind and as my husband it is your duty to divulge those thoughts to me."

Richard gave up, he knew that Emily's reasoning was circular but he also knew there was no way to argue his way around it, he would find peace much sooner if he just gave in. "Very well, Emily, if you would really like to know what I was thinking about then I will tell you." Richard took his time placing his spoon back in the bowl and then proceeded to close his paper and fold it in half. Once the paper was neatly folded Richard looked at his wife, his clasped hands resting on the table.

"I was thinking that I wasn't happy with how last night went. At times when it comes to Rory, I can overreact and... I don't want this to turn out like it did for Lorelai. I think that I was perhaps a little premature in supporting their nuptials."

"How can you not support their nuptials? You get pregnant, you get married. It's the right thing to do." Emily sounded so sincere.

"Emily, that argument did not work well twenty three years ago, what makes you think it's going to work this time?"

"Richard, Rory deserves more than the mistakes Lorelai made."

"But that's my point, Emily. Lorelai doesn't see her not marrying Christopher back then as a mistake. Perhaps Rory is taking a similar view or perhaps Rory is so scared of our disapproval that she is only marrying the boy because she thinks that it's what we want."

"But it is what we want, isn't it?"

The conversation stopped at the sound of the doorbell. Emily could hear the irritating sound of the maid shuffling to the door behind her. Emily could faintly hear the voices at the door, but not enough to hear who it was.

Emily watched as Richard's face light up with surprise. "Lorelai, what are you doing here?" Richard was astonished to see Lorelai so soon after last night.

Lorelai walked into the dining room, "Mom, Dad, I came to talk to you about last night." Lorelai sat at her usual seat and looked at both her parents. Lorelai had spent a great deal of time the previous night reflecting on Rory's reluctance to discuss the Gilmores' reaction to her impending motherhood. Lorelai knew that despite the fact that Rory did not hold as much weight to her grandparent's words prior to living with them, their approval was still partially tied to Rory's happiness.

And that was what had brought Lorelai here, she knew both her parents and Rory were not happy with the way things had gone last night and knew that they were too stubborn to contact each other and try and find some kind of solution. So Lorelai had cooked up a carrot crisis at the Inn and made her way to Hartford.

"I think the way you behaved last night was completely unacceptable, Lorelai."

'_And of course'_ Lorelai thought_, 'This must all be my fault, for who else's fault could it be in the eyes of Emily Gilmore?'  
_

"Mom, this isn't about me. This is about Rory. She loves you guys and she hates that she has disappointed you."

"Well, if she would just do..."

"Mom, do not finish that sentence. I raised Rory to be independent and this is one of the consequences of me being a considerate parent. She is not going to always do what we think she should do. She is going to make her own decisions."

"But it's absurd." Emily looked from Richard to Lorelai, desperately seeking their support for her point of view. "Rory and Logan are already engaged, I don't understand the need to delay the wedding."

"It doesn't matter if you get it, Mom, all that matters is that it makes sense to Rory and Logan."

"But it's ridiculous."

"Mom, why are you so hell bent on them getting married before the baby is born?"

"Because I don't want Rory and Logan to make the same mistake that you and Christopher made. I don't want them to miss their chance."

Lorelai didn't know exactly what to say in reply to Emily, but had Christopher and herself ever really had a chance? "Mom, they're not like me and Chris." Lorelai started out hesitantly, giving herself time to find the right words. "I don't think Chris and I would ever have worked, even if we had married back then. I think we would have grown to… resent one another." Lorelai found herself concentrating on the table cloth in front of her, running her hands over the fabric, smoothing out the non-existent wrinkles. "And maybe there was a time or two when maybe… but it didn't. We couldn't make it work and you have no idea how much I wanted it to work." Lorelai's voice started to break; she looked up at her parents, showing them just how much she meant her words. "You have no idea how much I wanted it to work this time, but wanting something and having it actually happening are two different things."

"What happened with you and Christopher?" Emily's voice was soft, this was the first opportunity she had had to ask Lorelai that particular question and she didn't want to spook her.

"I think that Chris and I held onto the idea of _us_ for too long." Lorelai looked up at her parents. "I think that we all did."

Both Emily and Richard reflected on that, it was true, somehow they had always thought if Lorelai and Christopher could somehow work out, everything would magically become okay, and the years of hurt and misunderstandings would miraculously heal and they would become a fully functional, happy family.

Richard realized he was just as guilty as Lorelai and Emily of holding on to the Christopher dream. He reasoned that in some way he had used that dream as an excuse to keep a barrier between himself and his daughter. Richard could see the pained expression on Lorelai's face, for his daughter's sake, he returned the conversation to the subject at hand. "Do we even know if Rory really wants to marry the boy? Or is she just doing this because she thinks that it will make us happy?"

Emily was horrified at what Richard was implying, "Of course, Rory wants to marry Logan… they are such a good match together."

"If they are such a good match then why did Rory turn Logan down just a few weeks ago? Emily, don't you think it's terribly convenient that just after Rory finds out she's pregnant that she discovers that she is madly in love with Logan and she can't live without him? It does not sound like the actions of a girl who is thinking rationally."

"Rory is a _woman_ and I'm sure that she had very valid reasons for turning Logan down back in May." Emily looked to Lorelai, as if she expected her to rationalize Rory's actions.

Richard missed Emily's questioning look at Lorelai. "Rory is twenty two, she's just a girl."

Lorelai who had held her mother's gaze while her father spoke trying to decide if she was going to answer her mother's unasked question. "No, Dad, Mom is right. Rory became a woman the day the pregnancy test came up positive." Lorelai sighed; she really had no right to share why Rory had said no to Logan the first time. It wasn't her story to tell. "Rory had her reasons for saying no in May, I'm not going to share those reasons with you, and if she wants to share it with you, she will. But I trust the decisions she has made were for the right reasons."

"How very vague of you, Lorelai."

"Like I said, Dad, it's not my place to say why Rory said no."

Richard pointed his finger at Lorelai, his voice stern. "Contrary to what I said last night, I don't want Rory marrying that boy because she thinks she has to. I want her to be happy." Lorelai noticed that Richard was referring to Logan as _boy. _Christopher had only been known as _boy _right up until Rory had learned to crawl.

"And so do I, Dad. Rory believes that Logan will make her happy."

Richard could sense that Lorelai wasn't one-hundred percent committed to the idea of Rory and Logan. "But you don't think he can?" Richard was excited at the prospect of having Lorelai on his side.

Lorelai could see the gleam in her father's eye, but what Richard failed to realize was that Lorelai would never interfere enough in Rory's life to stop this marriage." It's not that. It's just that so much drama has happened since Logan came into Rory's life. It's hard to forget all of that, and you're right Rory is young… but at the end of the day Rory is Rory. She loves Logan and I know that he loves her. "I…" Lorelai looked at both her parents, "… We have to stay out of it. We have to let them work this out."

"I don't understand, if he is the source of her wonderful happiness then why did she say no to him in the first place." Richard retorted, slightly disappointed that Lorelai would not side with him.

Clearly Richard could not get past this point; Lorelai dropped her head and decided to give him a partial explanation, "Because of me."

"Huh! I knew it!" Emily almost bounced up and down in her seat with self-righteous joy. Emily had known that this was Lorelai's fault, somehow. "I knew this was your fault. You couldn't just let her make up her own mind. You had to poison her with how bad marriage is. Well, guess what, Lorelai? Marriage can be pretty darn wonderful."

"I know it can be."

Emily missed the sound of hurt in her daughter voice, "Just because it hasn't worked out for you doesn't mean that it can't for Rory."

"I know that." Lorelai still found herself answering softly.

Emily missed how fragile Lorelai was sounding as she was so swept up in her lecture. "I don't know why you have to make everything so negative."

"Mom, stop! I agree okay, I have set some world-class crappy examples for Rory when it comes to love and marriage. But thank God she is smarter than me. I'm sorry that she's not doing things the way you would like her to, but she's doing what makes her happy, and that's all that matters. It doesn't have to make sense to us. It only has to make sense to them."

Lorelai hung her head and started to cry.

Emily and Richard were both surprised to see Lorelai cry, she was always so strong and sure of herself, and she had never really needed them for emotional support. Emily and Richard looked at each other, not completely sure on how to react.

Finally, Emily acted on instinct; she left her chair and went to her crying daughter. She held Lorelai to her chest, causing Lorelai to weep harder, Emily thought she had done the wrong thing until Lorelai wrapped her arms around her mother, hugging her tight. Emily ran her fingers through Lorelai's hair, soothing her.

"Shhh, it's okay, Lorelai… everything is going to be okay."

"Mom, it's not fair," Lorelai's words came out muffled against her mother's body. "Rory's twenty-two and she's worked this all out. Why can't I work it out?"

"What can't you work out?"

"If I don't make it work with Luke this time, it's never going to work for me. This is it."

Whilst Lorelai didn't answer her question, Emily had still found an answer in her daughter's words.

Whilst Emily didn't exactly approve of Luke, she had long ago accepted that he was the man who seemed to make her happy the most. Even when other man had been in Lorelai's life, Luke had always been there, like a shining light in the background. "It'll work for you, Lorelai. I know it will."

"How do you know?" Lorelai looked up at her mother, still clinging to her. "How can you possibly know?"

"Because I know you, anything you really want, you get. You wanted to live your own life; you went out and got it. You wanted Rory to go to Chilton, and you did whatever you had to, to make that happen."

Emily looked to Richard; neither of them had ever seen Lorelai look so vulnerable, Emily was becoming uncomfortable. How long was she supposed to comfort Lorelai for? She had never really known what to say to make her only child feel better.

Richard could see his wife struggle with what else to say, he didn't know what else to say either so he merely added to the list of her achievements, hoping that Lorelai could see they had paid attention, despite appearances, to everything Lorelai had achieved. "You bought your own home, you got yourself an education, and you built your own inn. Everything in life that you have genuinely wanted, you have gone out and done what you had to do to get it."

Lorelai looked at her parents, this was the most heartfelt moment they had ever had. Lorelai found it ironic that she had come here to make sure that her parent's relationship with her daughter would be okay, but in so doing, she found her own comfort with them.

"But this is different." Lorelai sniffed. She pulled back from her mother; she couldn't believe she had broken down in front of her parents. Gilmores abhorred weakness, but part of her was surprised that they had not used this moment of weakness against her.

"Why is it different? And if you say just because, I swear I will slap you myself."

"The other stuff didn't rely on someone else, it was all me. Relationships need more than just me to work, and just in case you didn't know, I'm not the easiest person to get along with."

"Oh, believe me, Lorelai, I know that. But Luke loves you, I could tell since the first time I met him at Rory's sixteenth birthday. If Luke hasn't gone somewhere by now, he won't be going anywhere at all."

"So, does that mean that you will be nice to him from now on?"

"Does Luke shave on a regular basis?"

The answer to that was _no_, Lorelai had a moment to decide whether she was going to pick a fight or not. She decided to let it go.

"I'm having some of Rory's friends over tonight, nothing fancy, just some finger food and drinks, and Rory would really like it if you could come. I know it is last minute…"

"We'll be there."

******************

Lorelai sat for a moment in her car outside her parent's house. When Lorelai had made her excuses to Rory as to why she was leaving the house, she had not planned on falling apart like that, what was even more surprising was that her parents didn't take advantage of her moment of weakness. Lorelai took a cleansing deep breath and looked at the time, it was just after eleven. '_Damn_,' Lorelai thought, she had missed 'Danish Day' at Luke's and he had refused to save some for her ever since the time when he did set aside some for her and she forgot to pick them up.

Lorelai grabbed her phone and speed dialed Luke.

"Luke's Diner."

Lorelai smiled, she felt better at just the sound of Luke's gruff, short-tempered voice. "Hey, Luke."

"Hi! Lorelai," Luke voice instantly changed tone. Lorelai loved that she was one of the few people who Luke did it for. "What's up?"

"Luke, is there any chance that you have any danish left? I could _really_ use a pick-me-up danish."

"Lorelai…"

Lorelai cut Luke off at what was sure to be another rant from him about wastefulness and how he would like his profit and loss statement to be more profit than loss. "Please, Luke… please, please, please."

"Lorelai, stop. I don't have any danishes…"

"Luke, how can you be so sure that we are fated to be together when you cannot even predict my need for the sweet, buttery, fruity deliciousness of the pastry known as the danish?"

"The reason I don't have any danish set aside for you is because Pete's truck broke down. Without his truck, Pete won't be able to deliver any of his baked goods. He'll probably be here by midday."

Lorelai glanced at her watch, it was half past eleven, and it took forty-five minutes to get to Luke's from here. "Luke, I'm on my way." Lorelai turned the key firing the engine to life, the rumble of the jeep engine could be heard down the phone. "Hey, Luke, would you really have put a danish aside for me?"

"Well, how else am I going to get you to eat your weekly dose of fruit?"

"I like fruit loops. You could feed me fruit loops."

"Great, so I'll sell off my danishes and I'll have a bowl of fruit loops waiting for you."

"Don't you dare."

"Oh, I dare."

"Luke, I'll be there in thirty minutes,"

Lorelai ended the call, turned on the radio and gunned out of the Gilmore's driveway to the sounds of Gun's n Roses _'_You Will Be Mine._'_

ve dn'fed. She pulled back from her mother. you have gone out and done everthigntything that Lorelai had some

******************

Rory stood alone at Lane's front door; she had left Logan at home with his laptop and cell phone. It seemed there was some kind of crisis that he had to deal with back on the left coast. The crisis was just fine by Rory, she wanted some alone time with her best friend, she had been concerned Logan would be insulted so she didn't want him there. But much to Rory's relief when she told Logan that she was going, he had paused with his typing and talking, kissed her good-bye and then gone straight back to his phone conversation.

Rory knocked on the door, louder than she had intended, Rory hoped the twins were not asleep. Rory was nervous about sharing the news, but then again, she desperately needed to talk to her best friend.

Lane opened the door, her mouth dropped open at the sight of Rory, "Oh! My god! Rory."

Lane pulled Rory into a hug and all the nervousness was forgotten at being in the arms of her best friend. As the pair pulled apart the light caught the engagement ring adorning Rory's finger. Rory had never taken the ring off after the dinner at the Gilmores. It had just never occurred to her to take it off after the discussion that Rory and Logan had had last night. Rory was still concerned about the possibility that the ring would have to be cut off, so as a precaution Rory had decided to slip the ring off and on her finger each morning and night. The day the ring no longer slipped on and off easily would be the day the ring would be worn on a chain around her neck again.

Lane grabbed Rory's hand so she could see the ice rink closer. "Oh! My god! You said yes!" Lane pulled Rory into another hug, her jump in logic and enthusiastic reaction was so unbelievably welcome to Rory. It was nice to have someone in her corner.

Rory wasn't surprised Lane knew what the ring meant; it proved just how special of a bond she had with Lane. Rory smiled at her friend, "That's only half of it."

Rory found herself sitting on Lane's porch, with a glass of orange juice, a packet of marshmallows and a baby monitor resting on the porch railing. The twins were fast asleep leaving Rory and Lane in relative peace and quiet. Rory filled Lane in on her life of the past few weeks; she had been editing a lot of her conversations and emails with Lane lately. Rory hadn't wanted Lane to know just how unhappy she had been without Logan in her life. Rory had also known if she spent too much time talking with Lane she would have let it slip she was scared that she was pregnant.

"Wow, I mean… wow." _Wow_ had been all Lane had been capable of saying since Rory had finished speaking. Lane felt every event in Rory's life for the past couple of weeks deserved a _wow -- _the hysterical phone calls to Logan, finding out that she was pregnant, making up with Logan and getting engaged , and, announcing her engagement and pregnancy to the Huntsbergers and her grandparents.

Rory nodded her head; _wow_ really did sum up her life at the moment. "I know."

"Well, I'm not completely surprised."

"Really?" Rory found it hard to believe Lane could see all of this coming when she hadn't herself.

"Well not the pregnant part. But the engagement part, yeah. There was just something about the way you talked about Logan. I had a feeling that he was the one, I kept hoping that you guys would work it out."

Rory took a sip of her juice. '_Man it tasted good.' _"Well your hoping paid off."

"So, you're going to be a Mom." It wasn't really a question; Lane was merely making a statement. From experience Lane had learned that if you said it loud and repeated the statement enough times, that you would eventual believe the word to be fact.

Rory nodded her head, "Yep."

"And are you feeling okay about all of this? I mean it's a lot to take on all at once."

Rory nodded, "There are times when I feel so overwhelmed, particularly after last night. But I don't… when all the other stuff just goes away… it feels right. The becoming a mother thing came up sooner than planned, but when I'm with Logan so many things go unplanned. Why should this be any different?"

"Don't get me wrong, but this just seems to be such a one-eighty from a few weeks ago." Lane was nervous Rory would take this the wrong way, particularly after all the negative vibes that have come Rory's way.

"Lane, I haven't been happy since Logan and I broke up, and all the time in the world wasn't going to make me feel happy again..." _'Blahh!_' Rory ran her finger through her hair. "… I sound like such a _girl_."

"Ah, Rory, you are a girl."

"No, I mean I sound like one of those girls whose happiness depend on someone else and that's not what I mean."

"What do you mean?" Lane was thankful Rory had given her an opening to ask that question, Rory was sounding very girly and very unlike herself.

"I mean that I can live without Logan, but I don't want to."

Lane just nodded, she understood and it wasn't girly in the least.

"Rory, what changed? And you're sure that this is what you want?"

"I am, Lane, despite all the wrongness this just feels right."

"But how does it feel right, Rory? Just a few weeks ago you said _no_ to Logan and now you have said yes and you seem all happy."

"Lane, you know me, you know I like to plan things and make lists, but with Logan I don't feel the need to plan everything. Logan doesn't always give me time to plan and it doesn't freak me out, it's exhilarating. Logan is the only one who can make me feel this way; I don't want to lose that feeling or Logan."

Lane gushed, "That is the most romantic thing that I have ever heard."

"Come on, you're happily married to a song writer, surely Zack has said something more romantic than that?"

"Zack is a man of few words; he doesn't really do the whole deep-thought, romantic thing."

The pair sat in comfortable silence, Rory watched the baby monitor as it emitted the sound of one of the twins gurgling in their sleep.

"Hey, Lane?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you still get scared about being a Mom?"

"Well, with all the vomit and dirty diapers and lack of sleep, I don't really have time to be scared. I just do it."

"How very Nike of you!"

"Hey, you'll be wearing a pair of Air Jordan in no time." Lane watched Rory as she contemplated their conversation.

Rory looked at her watch, it was eleven-thirty, and she needed to get home so she and Logan could meet Honor on time for lunch.

"Well, Mrs. Van Gerbig, I better get going." Rory stood up and stretched.

Lane looked up at her friend, "Hey, what name are you going to use?"

Rory turned around and rested her butt on the porch railing. "I don't know, I'm definitely not going to hyphenate my name to Gilmore-Huntzberger… it will never fit on my driver's license."

"So, you'll either stay a Gilmore or you'll become a Huntzberger."

"Yep," Rory chewed her lip in thought of what name she wanted to be known as.

"What does Logan think?"

"I don't know, we haven't talked about it." Lane could see the worry flash across Rory's face, she knew Rory would now be paranoid about whether this was another thing they should have talked about.

"Well, you've got time to work it out, it's not like you'll be getting married tomorrow."

"Yeah, well, I'm sure Grandma is still working on that."

Rory ended her time with Lane with a hug and a smile. It was a nice way to end the morning.


	14. Chapter 14

AN:- Okay guy's, I knew there would be disappointment that chapter 13 was low on the Rogan interaction, but it was necessary, honest. I really hope that this chapter makes up for it. Believe it or not chapters 13, 14 and 15 were once one big chapter, but I decided to split it into three; otherwise it would have taken for ever for you to get an update.

Enjoy!!!

* * *

Rory and Logan walked to Luke's hand in hand. Last night had cleared the air for both of them, for the first time in what felt like a long time, they were on the same page.

Logan felt secure they were together for the right reasons and the delay in their wedding was logical and would in fact make their "I do's" mean so much more. Rory had asked for time and Logan was prepared to give it to her, in fact, he now felt it would be the best thing for them. Logan had faith in them and knew when the time was right they would get married.

Rory also felt the weight of the last few days lift from her shoulder -- she hadn't understood until last night just how much stress she had been feeling -- her life seemed to have been brought back into focus.

"Logan, do you have a preference on my name?" Rory asked out of the blue.

"Well, I think it's pretty obvious that I do have a preference, _Ace."_ Logan emphasized his nickname for Rory.

"No, not that. I mean my last name."

"Hmm," Logan thought for a moment, "I don't know. I don't think hyphenating it is an option. Gilmore- Huntzberger would be a hell of a name to fit on a driver's license." Rory smiled at how similar Logan's thoughts were to her own.

Logan didn't say out loud that he really liked the idea of Rory taking his last name, it seemed incredibly old-fashioned and very un-PC, so instead what he said was, "So, do you have a preference?"

"I was thinking of using both, I would use Gilmore professionally and Huntzberger for everything else."

Logan smirked, that was the best compromise he had ever heard, "Hmm… Mrs. Rory Huntzberger." Logan tested the sound of the name out loud; he really liked the sound of it.

"Technically it would be Mrs. Lorelai Huntzberger."

Logan nodded, "Both sound good."

"You know I think it's a sign..." Logan looked at Rory questionably. "… that my name sounds good with yours."

"Wow, I think this conversation is getting a little too cutesy for us."

Rory laughed, "You're right, okay the cutesy moment is over."

The pair walked hand in hand a little longer, "That's the Kirk guy, isn't it?" Rory looked over to where Logan was pointing.

"Yeah, that's Kirk."

"What's he doing?"

Rory watched Kirk talk to a tree, and then as they were watching, he moved onto another tree and spoke to that one as well. "I have no idea."

Logan smiled, "Can we go find out?"

Rory looked at Logan's watch; they still had a little time before they had to meet Honor at Luke's. "Are you sure you want to do this? I cannot guarantee an explanation from Kirk will make any sense. In fact, you maybe left feeling more confused than you did in the beginning."

"I'm prepared to take the risk."

"Okay, but you can't say I didn't warn you."

"I consider myself warned."

The pair changed directions and made a b-line straight for Kirk, "Hey, Kirk, whatcha doing?"

Kirk looked away from the canopy of the tree he had been talking too and faced the happy couple, "I'm looking for Kirk. Mother yelled at Kirk this morning. Kirk was so distressed by the incident that Kirk shot out the window and hasn't been seen since."

"That's terrible," Rory knew how much Kirk meant to Kirk. "Would you like us to help you find Kirk?"

"No," Kirk sounded dejected. "Kirk will come crawling back when Kirk gets hungry… Kirk always does." For the first time Kirk noticed Rory was not alone. "Who are you?"

Logan leaned forward and offered his hand, "Logan Huntzberger."

Kirk took Logan's hand and shook it very enthusiastically, "Well, well, well. The rich playboy has returned to recapture young Rory's heart. You know I had never pictured Rory with a blonde. She tended to date brunettes. She's never been to fuss over height but I was sure she had a thing for brunettes."

Logan always being cool, calm and collected, "Well, lucky for me liking brunettes was just a phase."

Suddenly Kirk tilted his head to the side, just like a dog when they hear something interesting, and he called out. "Kirk?" Both Rory and Logan found themselves trying to hear whatever it was Kirk could hear. "It's okay, Kirk, daddy is coming!" Kirk ran off across the town square to another set of trees.

Logan was beyond confused. "Why is Kirk talking about himself in the third person?"

"He's not." Rory answered as if Logan has asked the dumbest question.

"Well, if he's not then that conversation made absolutely no sense to me."

"Well, it's incredibly common for Kirk to make no sense; but that conversation actually was one of the most coherent I've had with him." Logan looked at Rory questionably, clearly Rory still need to fill in the blanks. "Kirk named his cat after himself."

"Doesn't that get confusing?"

"Not according to Kirk."

"Huh." Logan and Rory started walking again towards Luke's, "So, you had a thing for brunettes? All you had to do was say, Ace, and I would have dyed my hair."

******************

Honor sat in the quaint Luke's Diner, she was pretty sure she had actually been served by the diner's namesake. The guy matched Rory's description of Luke from the flannel shirt to the reversed baseball cap. Honor had felt like the center of attention since she had arrived in the diner, everyone seemed to be looking at her -- no one tried to hide their curiosity -- and no one seemed to be bothered by everyone's behavior.

Honor was sipping her second cup of coffee, it was possibly the best coffee she had ever had. Rory had not been exaggerating all these years. Honor was finding the town of Stars Hollow fascinating; she was currently watching a man walk around talking to the trees that surround the gazebo.

Honor couldn't wait until she saw Logan and Rory; her mother had called her after their little announcement last night, and clearly had been snooping to see if Honor had known what was going to be announced before anyone else. Being the loyal sister, Honor had not given anything away. But she and her mother had spent a great deal of time discussing Rory's reason for saying no to the proposal the first time. Honor had been surprised that her mother actually seemed interested in Logan's well-being and happiness.

Honor was determined she would leave today with some answers; she just wasn't sure how she could tactfully ask the questions without upsetting her brother or Rory.

Honor's interest was perked when she saw Logan and Rory approach the man who was talking to the trees. They looked just like they always did -- happy. Honor had never seen Logan so at ease with a girl as he was with Rory. In the past, he was always putting on a front that was charming and charismatic, but it was never him. The fact that Logan was clearly that comfortable in Rory's presence so soon after the break-up and all the other drama set her fears aside. If Logan could make things work with Rory then so could she.

After talking to the tree-talking guy, Logan and Rory made their way to the diner. Honor stood as they entered the diner, Honor hugged her brother who looked so happy. "Congratulations."

Logan squeezed his sister tight; at least he had one family member who would support him.

"Thank you, Honor." Logan wasn't just thanking her for the congratulations; he was thanking her for showing up, for having a genuine smile on her face for both him and Rory.

Honor turned to Rory and immediately wanted to kill her parents. Rory looked like she was apprehensive about this meeting. Honor felt bad that her family had a history of making Rory feel like crap. "Come here, you, I've always wanted a sister." Honor hugged Rory; the hug was warm and held no pretence.

Rory smiled a smile of relief because the most important person in Logan's life has accepted her. "Thanks, Honor."

Babette and Miss Patty had watched the whole show with interest. "Rory, Sweetie, what's with the congratulations?"

Rory looked around and was not surprised to see half the diner paying very close attention to her little group. Rory didn't see the harm in announcing her engagement here in the diner; it seemed like the most effective way to let the whole town know. "Well, Honor is congratulating us because Logan and I are engaged."

The whole diner broke out into applause and congratulations. Miss Patty and Babette were the first out of their seats and drew both Rory and Logan into bone-crushing hugs. Then everybody started, all at the same time, asking questions: when was the wedding, how did he propose, would the wedding be in Stars Hollow? The diner was so blasting with noise that Rory was starting to find all of the chatter and questioning overwhelming.

A loud clanging noise sounded through the diner, everyone froze and looked at the counter where the noise was coming from. They found Luke standing by the cash register with a metal pot in each hand; he had smacked the two utensils together to get everyone's attention.

"You people are all acting like idiots. Either shut up, sit down and eat or get the hell out of my diner."

Surprisingly everyone in the diner sat down and started to eat their food or sip their drinks quietly. It seemed the townspeople wanted to wait and see what else they could find out.

Rory walked over to Luke, grateful that he has stopped the onslaught of well wishers, but she also felt guilty. She hadn't told Luke about Logan; she really hoped her mother had said something. Luke did not deserve to find out as a bystander in the commotion in the diner. Before Rory made it to the counter, she noticed for the first time that her mother was there, sitting by the counter, sipping a cup of coffee. Her mother smiled at her and gave her the thumbs up; Rory took it as a sign that Lorelai had filled Luke in.

Luke was the first to speak when Rory reached the counter. "So, your Mom told me congratulations are in order."

"Yeah, they are."

"So, do I have to say congratulations again, or did I just cover it."

"No, I think you covered it pretty well."

"Good, that's good." There was an awkward pause; Luke had never been one for emotional conversations.

"So, are you okay with this. Me being engaged?" Rory knew Luke still saw her as a little girl; she wasn't sure how he would deal with this news.

"As long as he…" Luke made _he_ sound like a dirty word. "… keeps making you happy, I don't have a problem with it."

Rory looked back at Logan; he was still standing, clearly unsure if he should join her. Rory smiled at Logan and could clearly see him relax; she turned back to Luke, her face still aglow with her smile. "Thank you, Luke, and he makes me happy."

"Sit down and I'll be over to take your orders in just a moment." That was as close to approval of her engagement that Rory was going to get from Luke. Rory was impressed; Luke had never handled her growing up very well.

Rory was about to make her way back to Honor and Logan, but her journey was stopped by Lorelai grabbing her hand. "Hey, don't you think you are forgetting something, or should I say someone?"

Rory was blank for a moment, her mother knew everyone in the diner, except… "Mom would you like to meet Honor?"

"Why, Rory, the thought never occurred to me."

"Yeah, sure." Rory lead Lorelai over to the table where Logan and Honor were seated.

"Honor, I would like to introduce you to my Mom Lorelai."

Lorelai offered her hand to Honor, "Oh! My God! Of course, you're Rory's mom." Honor had seen Lorelai when she walked into the diner. She should have known she was Lorelai, the facial resemblance was strong, particularly in the eyes. "It's nice to finally meet you. Rory has told me so much about you." Honor took Lorelai's hand and used it to draw Lorelai into a hug.

Lorelai stepped away from the hug and couldn't help but wonder how such a horrible family had produced two kids who were seemingly well-adjusted and … nice. "I hope she only told you the good things."

Rory smiled cheekily, "No way, all your best stories are the ones where you are bad."

"I promise she has told me nothing I haven't done myself. So, are you going to join us?"

Lorelai was about to answer when the bell on the diner door rang announcing Luke's pastry man had arrived with several pink pastry boxes. "Gotta go."

Lorelai had already lost interest in Honor and become totally focused on the pastry man, she followed the man into the back; she was like a lioness in pursuit of a gazelle.

Honor called after Lorelai, "Oh! Okay, it was nice to meet you."

"Don't mind her, Luke's pastry delivery takes priority over everything else. He has the best danishes in town."

The trio sat back down. Rory noticed Logan flinch when his butt made contact with his seat.

"Are you okay?"

"She pinched my ass." Logan sounded indignant.

Rory held back a laugh.

Honor broke out into a broad grin, "Who did?"

Logan nodded his head toward one of the tables. "The red head."

Honor tried to look at the person in question without being spotted but knew she had been busted when the red head in question smiled and waved at the table.

Honor looked back at her brother ready with a smart ass statement, but whatever she had been planning on saying slipped her mind at the sight of her brother's face.

"Logan, you're blushing."

"Well, Miss Patty does have a way with men." Rory shared a look with Honor and both girls burst into laughter at the same time.

"It's not funny. She pinched me hard." Logan shifted so most of his weight was on his left, non-pinched butt cheek.

The girls laughter only grew louder, Logan decided to just shut up and say nothing.

While Honor was still looking over the menu she spoke, "So, Mom called me after last night's…" She hesitated; she didn't quite know how to describe the events of the night before.

Logan saw his sister's problem, "Disaster."

"Yeah, that's the word."

Despite how angry Logan was with his parents, he found himself asking, "What did she say?"

"She was trying to find out if I knew anything about your little announcement." Honor could see the look of fear in Logan's face. If his mother found out he had told Honor the news first he would never hear the end of it. "Don't worry, I played dumb. I acted all shocked and then I was very subtly supportive."

"Subtlety?" Subtle and Shira did not go together in the same sentence for Rory.

"Yeah, if you just outright tell Mom something, she'll resist, but if you subtly make comments, you plant the seeds and at the end Mom thinks it was her idea and you get what you want."

"It's true," Logan nodded at his sister's words. "It took me six months to get my Mom think that my boat trip around the world was her idea."

******************

The lunch had gone well; Luke had taken their orders with only a brief death glare for Logan. The meal had been relaxing; it was fun just to talk and catch up. No pressure, no yelling. It wasn't until they were all happily eating pie that the baby was brought up.

"Oh! My god! I can't believe I haven't asked yet, when are you due?" Honor's voice seemed to cut through the whole diner; everyone who had been eating paused and looked over at the trio. Honor was oblivious to the attention she had brought unto them.

"Rory, Sugar, did she just say what I thought she said?" Of course, Babette was the first to say something.

Rory's eyes didn't leave Honor's face; she made it clear Honor was in trouble. "I don't know, Babette, what do you think Honor was saying?" Rory was trying very hard to be evasive, but she knew it would be tough with this crowed.

Honor dropped her eyes and whispered, "Oops."

"It sounded like she asked when you were due, as in due to have a baby." Babette sounded like she was ready to burst at the seams with joy.

"It did sound like that, didn't it?" Rory still didn't look away from Honor.

This time it was Miss Patty who spoke up, "So, Rory, Honey, are you?"

Rory didn't know how to answer; she really wasn't ready for the whole town to know. Rory looked at Logan for help. Logan just shrugged his shoulders; he couldn't see a way out of telling the town.

"Yes, Miss Patty, I am." The celebration the diner was about to break out into was interrupted by what sounded like the kitchen being demolished.

Rory looked up to see Luke storming in. '_Crap!'_ Rory thought. Luke hadn't known she's pregnant and this was not the way she had planned on telling him.

Lorelai dropped her danish and jumped out of her seat and placed herself between Luke and the rest of the diner, Lorelai decided she needed to distract Luke, fast.

"Hey, Luke, I have a new bra on do you want to go check it out." Lorelai could almost see the steam coming out of Luke's ears, he was trying to push his way past Lorelai. "Luke, come now or you will never get to see any of my bras again." Luke looked at Lorelai and he could see that under her joking there was a silent plea.

Luke looked passed Lorelai and could see the look of fear on Rory's face. Luke hated that Rory seemed to be scared of him; Luke turned to Logan and was impressed to see the _boy_ was sitting up straight, and looking him in the eye. Luke gave Logan his best death glare and was very satisfied to see Logan pale slightly, it was then that Luke gave in to Lorelai's incessant tugging on his hand and allowed Lorelai to lead him upstairs.

The second Luke walked into his apartment he let go of Lorelai's hand and started pacing, back and forth, each lap faster than the last. When Lorelai closed the door, Luke spoke.

"She's pregnant?"

Lorelai nodded, "Yeah," Lorelai made her way to the couch and sat down.

"But how?"

"Well, Luke, when a mommy and daddy love each other very much..."

Luke paused in his pacing to glare at Lorelai, "I know that, I mean how could you let this happen?"

"I didn't let anything happen, in fact, I can guarantee that had I been there when it happened, it would never have happened in the first place."

Luke paused in his pacing and faced Lorelai, "But she's _Rory_." Luke said this as if Lorelai didn't understand they were talking about Rory.

"I know its Rory, Luke, she's my daughter."

"But she was meant to be more responsible than that." Luke sounded incredibly frustrated.

"I know, but sometimes these things happen."

"Not to her, they don't." Luke's voice grew louder; he was just a notch below yelling.

"Luke, calm down, accidents happen. And as far as accidents go this is a pretty good one."

"How can you say this is a good accident?"

"Are you saying Rory and April are bad accidents?" Lorelai wasn't upset with Luke; she knew he had not totally thought this out. It was a lot of news to process in a short time.

"What?" Luke stopped and thought for a moment. April was the most important person in his life and he would not give her up for anything. "I didn't mean it that way, Lorelai…"

"Calm down, Luke, I know."

"So, you're going to be a grandma?"

"Hmm, I've been thinking about that, I've decided I'm defiantly not a Grandma or an Omar. The jury is still out on Nana and Bebbe."

"Well, you have always wanted an excuse to speak Yiddish." Luke sat down on the couch; he couldn't believe he was so freaked out about this. He didn't understand why he was so freaked out, it's not like Rory was sixteen, and she had been with Logan for quite some time. Logan, the little piss ant who had crushed her heart just a few weeks ago.

"Man, I'm being so selfish. How are you handling all of this?"

"I don't know, I mean this is Rory. I wanted her to go out and live her life before starting a family… and it's Logan."

"Still not a Logan fan?"

"I don't know… it's just that so much stuff has happened since Logan came into Rory's life. But it's Rory's life… I just don't know if they are ready for this. Being engaged, having a baby… it's a lot to take on at once."

"I know and it is a lot," Luke sat down on the couch next to Lorelai, he could see she needed someone to talk to. He knew the path Rory's life was taking would stir up a lot of issues for Lorelai. "But I don't think that you're ever really ready for parenthood, and Rory and Logan have to work these things out for themselves."

"I know, Luke, believe me I know. I just wanted her to have more than I did."

Luke pulled Lorelai to his side, "She will, Lorelai, and she had already finished school and college. She has someone to share her life and Logan gets the writing stuff as well. And unlike you Rory will have a Mom who understands her."

"But Rory always had so many plans."

"Well, she'll make new ones with Logan." As much as Luke didn't want to be on the pro-Logan team, Lorelai needed to believe there was something positive about this situation.

Lorelai moved tighter into Luke's embrace, she buried her face in the crook of his neck, she took all the comfort Luke could give her. Luke was right that this wasn't the end of the world. In fact, it was just the beginning of something amazing -- unplanned but amazing nonetheless. And Lorelai wanted amazing again; she didn't want this middle ground that she seemed to be stuck in with Luke.

Luke smiled as Lorelai mumbled something with her lips pressed into his neck. "Lorelai, I didn't understand a word you said."

Lorelai pulled back, she looked Luke in the eye. "I want that Luke, I want us to make plans and not ruin them. I want us to get married and have kids and I don't want us to screw it all up again."

"I want that as well."

"So, how do we get it?"

Luke pulled Lorelai back into his arms, "I don't know but we will figure it out together."

"I'd like that."

******************

After Lorelai had managed to get Luke upstairs Logan and Rory had been swamped with well wishers and after fifteen minutes of chaos and ass-pinching from Babette and Miss Patty, Logan could see no end in sight. Logan needed to escape, now.

Logan found himself locked away in the diner's bathroom. Logan washed his face and looked into the bathroom mirror. He did know why he was freaking out over the hubbub in the diner. Despite the fact Logan had grown up with parents who were as affectionate as Louis VIII, affection and love were not alien concepts to him. And his attachment issues had been healed the day he had committed to Rory. So why was he so bothered?

Logan splashed water on his face and looked at himself in the mirror. He didn't look as tired as he had been a week ago, being with Rory was definitely better for his health than not being with her. Logan dried his face and wondered how long he could stay in the bathroom before someone would come looking for him.

Logan started pacing the small bathroom; he needed to be doing something other than listening to a very happy diner. Logan pulled out is phone and decided a little time with Colin and Finn would give him a chance to vent and gain some perspective. Logan looked up from his phone when a wave of particularly loud laughter echoed through the small room.

Logan finally understood what was bothering him so much: how can he take Rory away from this place?

Rory was such an integral part of this town and this town was a big part of Rory. By making her move to the West Coast with him, he was taking her away from some weird big baby shower. She wouldn't be involved in the town's dozens of events and festivals. Other than when Rory and Lorelai had been fighting, Logan hadn't seen Rory go longer than six weeks without a Stars Hollow fix. And it was his fault that it would now be months before she would get her next fix.

And yet Logan wasn't ready to make the move back to the East Coast, he had just started his own career away from his family and he didn't want to give that up just yet.

Logan turned back to the mirror, looked himself in the eye and made himself a promise. They would move back here, maybe even to Stars Hollow one day. His child would know the joy of the Fire Light Festival, the hilarity of watching Luke and Taylor argue, and the satisfaction of eating Sookie's amazing food.

Logan looked at the time, he had been in here ten minutes, short of saying he was sick, there was no way he could stay in here any longer without someone coming to look for him.

Logan sent his text message to Colin and Finn, straightened his shirt and made his way out of the bathroom. Logan was so distracted he almost collided with Luke, "Hey, sorry man."

Luke had just made his way back down from his apartment; he had left Lorelai alone so she could pull herself back together. Lorelai had been right; they had to find a way to move past this impasse they were at. He had been deep in thought until he almost crashed into Logan... the little punk.

Logan could see Luke was ready to have a go at him so he decided to cut him off; he wasn't in the mood to deal with him. "Luke, if you're going to give me the _'hurt her and I hurt you'_ speech, Lorelai got it covered."

That was exactly the speech Luke had been intending to give, but he found himself saying something entirely different. "I've learnt that the Lorelai Gilmores of this world are amazing women, but you only get so many shots at being with them. There is going to come a point where they won't take you back."

Luke left it unsaid that this was probably the last chance for either of them. If they didn't make it work this time, there would not be another time, this would be the last time. There was only so much hurt a relationship can take before it could not recover.

"I know, Luke." Whilst Luke's little speech wasn't exactly one of enthusiasm, it was one of support, and Logan was grateful. He knew how much Luke meant to Rory and his approval meant something to Rory.

Luke lead the way back into the diner, Logan was surprised to see that Rory was completely hidden behind a mass of people. He just really wanted some alone time with her, but it didn't seem it was meant to be.

"Come on, you freaks, break it up. Geez, you would think none of you have seen a pregnant lady before."

The crowd started to disperse, giving Logan his first sighting of Rory since he had entered the room. She was cute when she was embarrassed. Rory had never been one to thrive on being the center of attention.

Rory finally caught sight of Logan and smiled; she wasn't sure when he had slipped away.

Logan made his way over to Rory, "Hey."

Rory took Logan's hand in hers, "Hey, you. I'm sorry about that… they're just a little enthusiastic."

"Enthusiastic is not the word I would have used for this town."

"Yes, but it is so much nicer than crazy." Honor piped in. She had been pushed away from Rory when the stampede started. Rather than trying to fight her way through the tide, she sat back down, sipped her coffee and watched the spectacle.

"Demented." Logan answered back.

"Cracked." Honor was sure she could come up with more adjectives for this town than Logan could.

"Hey, we are not cracked!" Rory faked being insulted.

"I'm sorry, you're right, you're not cracked." Logan pulled Rory to his side and kissed her on the cheek. "You're all delusional."

Honor was still stunned by the townspeople of Stars Hollow, "I have never seen anything like that before."

"What can I say… we are a unique town here."

"Unique is not the word I would have used." Logan said.

Rory rolled her eyes, "Let's not start this again."


	15. Chapter 15

Happy Holidays!!! Think of this as my little present to all of my readers, I hope you are all happy, safe and well – Queen Ferret

* * *

Rory and Logan had been walking quietly since seeing Honor off. It was late in the afternoon, the sun was setting and the air smelled amazingly of all the summer flowers in full bloom.

Rory looked around the nature-lined road; this road led to what was one of her most favorite places in all of Stars Hollow, "We should start to head back." They had reached a spot where the road turned into a yellow gravel driveway.

"But I want to know what's at the end of this road." Logan pointed down the gravel road. "You didn't take me this way last time I was here." Logan loved it here, the place was so tranquil, and he didn't want the moment to end.

"Well, I could just spoil the mystery and tell you what's at the end of the road."

"Please, tell me it's the Emerald City, I have always wanted a horse of a different color."

"I hate to disappoint you, but this road just leads to the old Independence Inn." Rory was pleased that she could finally say the name of the inn without feeling sad.

Logan knew the name; Rory had mentioned it before, "Isn't that where you lived for a while?"

Rory nodded and looked down the long gravel driveway that led to her former home, "Yep."

Logan started to walk faster, pulling Rory along, "Well, come on, I want to check the place out."

"Why?"

"Because I want to see the place where the great Rory Gilmore grew up."

Rory really didn't feel like making the long walk up the driveway of the Independence Inn, she was already feeling tired and they still had a long walk ahead of them to get to her Mom's place. "But there's not that much to see."

Logan was confused, "I thought you said most of the damage was on the inside."

"It was."

"So there will be plenty to see."

"But my feet hurt; they're all hot and sweaty in my shoes. It's like they're trapped in a Scandinavian steam room."

"Well, we can't have trapped feet, can we?" Logan picked Rory up and threw her over his shoulder so he was carrying her in the classic fireman hold.

"Logan!" Rory was shocked to find herself perched atop Logan's shoulder upside down and staring at his butt. "Put me down."

"In a minute," Logan walked from the road to the gravel driveway, the gravel crunching with each step.

"No, not in a minute, now." Rory felt ridiculous talking to Logan's butt, no matter how good his was.

"If I put you down now, I will not have solved the case of the Scandinavian feet."

"Logan, you're jiggling the baby." Rory was desperate to be put down.

"No more than I'm jiggling you." Logan just kept walking. He was not concerned that he could hurt the baby.

Rory scrunched up her face in frustration; what was the point of being pregnant if she couldn't use it to get her partner do whatever she wanted. "If our baby comes out looking like one of those nodding dolls, I'll be blaming you."

"Relax, Ace," Logan had walked until he was standing on what would have once been the immaculately manicured lawn of the Inn. Now the grounds looked like a summer glade with wild flowers growing everywhere. "I'm putting you down now." Logan slid Rory off his shoulder so they were standing in the grass. "Now sit."

Rory crossed her arms on her chest, "Why?"

"Just sit." Logan was not surprised to see Rory not do what he had asked. "Rory, please."

Rory's eyes narrowed at the sound of her name, Logan only ever used it when he was serious or when he wanted something from her. "Fine." Rory humped, she didn't like being told what to do, but having a rest on the nice cool grass was tempting.

Rory sat down and was about to tuck her legs underneath herself when Logan realized what she was going to do. "Legs stretched out, please."

"Logan, why?"

"Because I can't rescue your feet if I can't touch them."

Reluctantly Rory stretched out her jean-clad legs as she watched Logan kneel by her feet and move her left foot so it rested in his lap. He undid the shoe lace and gently slipped the sneaker off her foot. He then proceeded to remove the pink Hello Kitty sock that encased her foot. Logan was not surprised to see Rory's toes were painted a shade of pink that matched the sock.

Logan watched Rory's face as he began to massage her foot. He started with the balls of her foot and worked his way to the top of her ankle. Logan smiled as Rory leaned back on her elbows and closed her eyes. Logan then repeated the process with the other foot.

Rory was lying completely on her back on the grass by the time Logan had finished. She mused to herself: this was possibly the most perfect resting spot ever. There was plenty of shade from the setting sun, the grass was cool and the air smelled amazing.

Logan gently placed Rory's feet down on the grass and watched her for a moment. She didn't move, the only reason Logan knew she wasn't asleep was the slight smile that played on her lips. Logan decided to join Rory; he laid next to her and draped one arm over her waist and used his other arm to prop his head up so he could look down at her.

Logan wasn't someone who normally had regrets, he had always believed in learning from mistakes and then moving on, but never before had a mistake nearly cost him so much. He should never have walked away from Rory that day, and, if Rory hadn't called, he may never have swallowed his pride enough to call her.

Logan was reluctant to spoil the moment, but he still wanted to see the Inn and they were running out of daylight. "Come on, Ace, it's time to get up."

Rory smiled but did not open her eyes, "I don't want to."

"Yes, you do. You want me to see the Inn."

Rory opened her eyes and looked up at Logan, "No, you want me to show you the Inn."

Logan smiled down at Rory, "That's just semantics."

"But I'm comfy."

"It'll start getting dark soon."

"So?"

"So… do you really want to walk home in the dark, without any flashlight or torch?"

"I hate it when you have a point." Rory didn't want to make the walk back home in the dark, knowing her luck she would trip over a tree branch.

"No, you love it, how else would we get into heated debates."

"Heated debates?" Rory raised her eyebrow at Logan.

"Mmm hmm." Logan leaned down and nuzzled Rory's neck. He knew there was no way she would want to get amorous out in the open, but the idea of a little nookie might get her moving, just to avoid any naked moments in the great outdoors.

Rory was enjoying the attention Logan was lavishing on her so much so that she had forgotten where she was; she was just about to move the make-out session up a notch when a bird chirped out, reminding her of their location.

Rory pulled away from Logan, unwrapping her legs from his. "Come on, Logan, we'd better go before the sun sets."

Logan smiled into the crook of Rory's neck; he was feeling very smug that his plan had worked.

"Okay," Logan sat up and made his way back down to Rory's feet.

"What are you doing?" Rory pulled herself into a sitting position.

"Putting your socks and shoes back on."

"Why?"

Logan felt like this was a trick question, "So that you can walk without getting your feet dirty."

"But you'll be trapping my feet in those hell holes known as shoes."

"So what do you want to do with your shoes?"

"I am going to do nothing with the shoes; you, on the other hand, will be carrying them."

Logan mentally kicked himself; he should have seen that request coming. He got to his feet, "I'm not carrying your stinking shoes."

Rory replied in an overly dramatic voice, "Fine, I'll carry them just like I'm carrying your unborn child."

"How long are you planning on milking the whole _pregnant_ thing?"

"Well, considering the average American male lives to be seventy-five and a half you have at least fifty years left, Mister. Now come on and help me up."

Logan was suspicious with how quickly Rory had conceded, but nonetheless he found himself reaching down, helping pull Rory to her feet. He pulled just a little too hard at just the right moment causing Rory to bump into him. Logan took the opportunity to wrap his arms around her and once she was trapped within his embrace, he leaned in for a kiss.

Logan was pleased with how enthusiastically Rory kissed him; she wrapped her arms around his neck and played with the hair at the nape of his neck. Logan groaned as Rory pressed her body into his groin and started to move against him.

Once Rory felt Logan relax into the kiss she broke free of his embrace and started running towards the Inn, she had hoped her kiss would be distracting enough for her to break free. Rory looked back at Logan smiling, "Hurry up, Logan, you don't want to walk home in the dark, do you?" Rory then turned back to the Inn, running as fast as she could.

Logan watched Rory run off; the little minx had planned that move.

Rory called out to Logan, "Don't forget my shoes."

Logan laughed and bent down and picked up Rory's shoes and socks, he looked around and admired the place; he could certainly see why Rory would have enjoyed growing up here. This was the kind of place he would love his child to grow up in. They could have a dog; he had always wanted a dog -- a real dog not a toy, chow, spaniel, fluffy thing. Maybe they could get a Labrador or even a Husky; he had always wanted a Husky. The yard of the house in Palo Alto was big enough for a dog, maybe he could talk to Rory about adding a four-footed friend to their family. Logan took one last look around and started to make his way after Rory, he walked slowly, enjoying the serenity of the place.

When Logan found Rory she was standing in front of the Inn, the white paint was slightly peeled and several of the windows were boarded up. Dried leaves littered the large wrap-around porch.

Despite the obvious neglect, the place was beautiful. It was large but not too imposing, he could see people sitting on the porch, drinking homemade lemonade and talking long into the night.

Logan came up behind Rory; he warped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder, holding her tight as they stared up at the place Rory had once called home.

"I wish you could have seen it when it was in its prime."

"Me, too."

Rory shivered at the sound of Logan's voice so close to her ear. Rory pointed off into the distance, "The lake is that way, and the tennis courts. And around there is where my Mom and I first lived."

Logan's eyes had followed where Rory had pointed, his eyes drifted back to the building before them. "So, what's going to happen with this place?"

"Don't know. Mia has had a couple of buyers in the past but they have pulled out at the last minute. She said she is just going to wait for the right offer to come along again."

Logan didn't miss the sound of longing in Rory's voice. "You miss this place, don't you?"

"Yeah," Rory turned Logan in Logan embrace. "It was my home for so long, it's hard to see it like this."

"I've never been attached to a place before." Logan said off-handedly, the concept of being attached to a building was completely alien to Logan.

"Really?" Logan's statement surprised Rory; surely he had felt an attachment to the apartment they had shared together in New Haven.

"Yeah, they have always just been the place where I lived with my stuff. I tend to get attached to the people."

"I get attached to people as well… but it's nice to have a home where I live with the people I love and where I put my stuff."

Logan kissed the side of Rory's head, "A home sounds nice."

******************

"Logan, how much farther do we have to go?" Rory's feet shuffled along the footpath, once they had left the green lawn of the Independence Inn, Rory had put her shoes back on.

"Not far now, we're almost in your street now."

"Are you sure it's the right street? I don't remember my house being this far away." Rory was so tired.

"I'm sure, Ace. We just passed the figurine of the rooster."

"But that means we still have miles and miles to walk." Rory's tired feet started walking slower and slower.

"I think you are exaggerating a bit."

"I am not exaggerating. Just add sand and I'd officially know how Jesus felt for forty days."

Logan just kept walking, his hand gripped tightly around hers, tugging her along. He knew if they stopped Rory would not get started again.

"I mean what on earth were you thinking making me walk this far. Do I not famously refrain from exercise?"

"Your distaste of exercise is widely known, but I wouldn't call it famous."

"But what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking it would be nice for us to…"

Rory cut Logan off mid-sentence and shouted out very enthusiastically, "Party!" Rory forgot her sore feet and how tired she was, dropped Logan's hand and ran towards her house at the end of the street her ponytail bobbing happily as she ran.

Logan looked towards the house and saw that a party was indeed in full swing.

It seemed Logan was about to be inducted to his first Lorelai Gilmore party.

******************

Rory was dancing in the middle of their living room, with her Mom, Lane and half of Stars Hollow, the music was loud, just the way any good Gilmore girl liked it. Rory hadn't seen the house this full of people since her sixteenth birthday.

Rory laughed as she did the hassle with Lane; she looked up, and despite being in a room full of people her eyes found Logan almost immediately. He was standing by the stairs, cornered by Jackson and Morey. It did not look like Logan was having as much fun as Rory.

Rory gave Lane's hips one last bump and left the dance floor and made her way to Logan, determined to rescue him.

"Hi guys, do you mind if I borrow Logan for a while?"

"Not a problem, Rory," Jackson didn't even look at Rory; he was too busy giving Logan a very impressive glare. "We're done with him."

Logan gratefully took hold of Rory's hand and allowed her to lead him away from her well-intending crazy friends. Just when Logan thought he was safely away, he felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder, Logan turned to see that the hand belonged to Morey. Logan looked up at the taller man. "We'll be watching you, man."

Rory was oblivious to the little exchange that had just occurred since she was set on having some quiet time with Logan. Rory led them out of the house and to the porch swing. They could still hear the laughter and music coming from the house, but no one else was on the porch so for the moment it was just the two of them.

Rory took Logan's hand into her own, "Sounds like you were having a hard time."

"It wasn't too bad, the three death threats that I had better make you happy. I was propositioned by Miss Patty, again, and Kirk asked me to invest in his talking welcome-mat idea."

Rory smiled as the town has actually behaved better than she thought they would have, "Please tell me you didn't agree to invest in the idea."

"I was tempted to just for the fun of it but I said no."

"I hope you let Kirk down gently, he gets so upset sometimes when people turn him down." Rory was genuinely concerned; Kirk had been known to cry if his business ideas were turned down.

"I remembered the warning, Ace," Logan could see Rory didn't believe him, "I said I was already investing in talking door-knockers and that his product would compete with mine."

Rory smiled and moved closer to Logan, their bodies touched from shoulder to hip to knee. It was nice that Logan was fitting in with her friends so quickly. "I hope the death threats weren't too bad?"

"No worse than what I've heard from Paris, though Jackson did point out that he owns a farm and that it would be easy to bury a body and for it never to be found."

Rory wasn't really surprised that the town was being protective, "Sorry."

"Hey, it's not your fault this town loves you so much."

Rory, the ever modest girl responded the only way she knew how, "I don't know if love is the right word. My Mom and I are just really involved with the community here."

"No, Ace, trust me, this is love."

Rory didn't know how to respond, so she said nothing at all.

There was a long moment of comfortable silence.

"I'm going to miss this place."

Logan didn't miss the sound of longing in Rory's voice, he let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her. "Ace, I promise we won't be gone forever, we'll move back here one day." This idea had been growing in Logan's mind all day. "I just can't do it right now. I need some time away from my family."

"It's okay, Logan, I understand." Rory appreciated Logan's promise, but she didn't need it, as much as she hoped her children would know the joy of growing up in this small hamlet, she knew having Logan by her side, raising their child was far more important than the zip code they lived in.

Rory nestled closer to Logan and rested her head on his shoulder. "So, how are you feeling about all of this?" Rory was concerned, the last few days had been so focused on her and her breakdowns that she was worried Logan wasn't getting the support he needed.

"Could you have started with a smaller question, Ace?"

"Okay, smaller question." Rory was not surprised by Logan's evasiveness; he was a person who held his own council, even when it would be more prudent to confide in someone. "What were you thinking about just now?"

"To be honest I was thinking… about nothing."

"Nothing?" Rory looked up at Logan in disbelief, she found it hard to believe Logan was thinking about nothing, too much had happened in the last few weeks and months for him to be thinking of nothing.

"Yeah, nothing, I was just enjoying the moment." Logan leaned down and kissed Rory on the lips and then went back to looking out over the Gilmore's yard.

"You know it's okay if you are thinking about stuff. There's a lot to think about and so far it's been me freaking out and you having to be so... calm. I just want you to know if you're scared or freaked out, that's okay and you don't have to hide it from me. We'll deal with it together."

"I know I can confide in you, Ace, but really, I'm doing okay."

Rory pulled away from Logan so she could turn on the porch swing and look him in the eye. "But you have to be worried about something."

"I know that I should be but I'm not." Logan shrugged his shoulders; he could see the doubt on Rory's face, "Honest. I think my worst fear would be my turning into my father, but I know you won't let that happen. So there isn't much left to worry about because we'll deal with everything else as it comes."

"You really are taking this in your stride?" Rory was once again finding herself impressed with Logan's maturity.

"It's what us Huntzbergers do."

"I'm glad to see there are some positives associated with the Huntzberger genetics."

Logan could think of at least five dirty comments to reply with, but before he could pick one Rory spoke again.

"You know you're right about one thing, I'll never let you become Mitchum because then I have to become your mother, and I would look terrible as a blonde."

"Not to mention you would need to have an evil sixth toe."

Rory had no idea if Logan was being serious. "Your mother has a sixth toe?"

"Oh, yeah, right along with a birth mark in the shape of a pitch fork. She had a wart on her nose but had it removed for her first wedding anniversary."

"Logan, be serious." Rory tried to frown at him, but it was really hard when his eyes were sparkling with mischief.

"I am, don't ever accept an apple from my mother."

"Logan, I barely accept fruit from Luke, so what chance would your mother have?"

"A very good one if it's a candied apple."

Rory laughed and settled in the porch swing again. Logan wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "What about you, what were you thinking about?"

"I was thinking about everyone." Logan couldn't figure out the emotion Rory had in her voice, it wasn't sadness, but it wasn't happiness either.

"So, you had six point five billion people on your mind?"

"No, I was thinking about our friends and family, not the general state of global affairs."

"What about them?"

"That nothing went the way I thought it would. For days all I could think about was how disappointed everyone would be in me but..."

Logan decided Rory needed prompting to continue, "But?"

"Look at everyone in there," Rory turned and pointed at all the people gathering in her mother's house. "They're okay with this. They don't hate me."

"Ace, you're pregnant; it's not the end of the world."

"I know. I just hate disappointing people, especially my Mom; she wanted me to have a chance to experience life without a kid."

"Rory, you being pregnant… _us _having a child doesn't stop us from being able to achieve our goals. Yes, it makes things harder, life is meant to be hard. It makes you appreciate the good things. "

"I know and my Mom knows as well, but, Logan, it's going to be so easy for me to lose my focus on writing, especially once I'm dealing with dirty diapers and three a.m. feedings."

"And that's where us being a team comes into it. If I have to, I'll give you writing assignments and grade you on them."

"Logan."

"No, I'm serious, Ace; I'll buy a couple of ugly shirts, shrink a few inches and become _lactose resistant__._ It will be just like having Doyle back as your editor. You have to keep writing, Ace, its part of who you are. It's part of why I love you."

"How big of a part?"

"Big enough that I am prepared to dress like Doyle if it will keep you motivated."

Rory smiled and nestled back into Logan's side; she closed her eyes and was almost ready for a nap. "I just wish my Grandparents were here."

"They'll come around."

"I hope so."

Logan could hear how sleepy her voice was, "You're not falling asleep, are you?"

"If you hadn't made me walk so far I might not be."

Logan rolled his eyes, he had hoped that Rory would have let go of that by now. "You're starting to sound like a broken record."

"This record is not broken," Rory's voice grew sleepier with each word she spoke. "She is just tired and pregnant."

Logan felt Rory's breathing even out; he looked down at her peaceful face. If she wasn't asleep she would be any moment.

Logan looked up at the sound of the gravel driveway crunching. "Hey, Ace, it looks like your wish has been granted."

"What?" Rory answered sleepily, she didn't even open her eyes.

"Look who's pulling up."

Rory reluctantly opened her eyes to see her grandfather's silver Jag coming up the driveway. Rory could see her grandmother sitting in the passenger seat.

Rory smiled and felt a new wave of energy wash over her.

* * *

Now if you're wondering what to get me for the holiday's a review is always welcome – it doesn't have to be positive, constructive criticism is always welcome.


	16. Chapter 16

First let me apologise for how long it has take me to update. I have been suffering from a hand/wrist injury that at time has left my right hand useless. The final edits of Expiry Date and the first draft of this chapter were hen pecked, hence the reason for the delay in updating. Just to let you know updates should be coming more frequently now that my hand is on the mend.

Enjoy!

* * *

Logan had been unsure how Rory would take his request to see Colin and Finn alone. They had so little time left before they had to part ways again; he would have understood if Rory wanted them to spend that time together.

Much to Logan's surprise, not only had Rory been okay with the arrangement, she actually thought it was a good idea. Logan hadn't been convinced until he had seen the number of movies and the amount of food Lorelai and Rory had planned for the day.

Logan walked into the restaurant, the maitre'd made a move to approach him, "It's okay, I see my friends." Logan gestured towards where he could see Colin and Finn sitting.

"Of course, Mr. Huntzberger." Logan smiled at the maitre'd, not surprised the man knew his name; he had been to this restaurant a lot over the years.

Logan made his way over to his two best friends and was nervous; he had no idea how they would react to the news. Rory had not been their favorite person after she had turned down his proposal the first time and he was worried they would not be able to let the past go.

Finn, who was the first to spot Logan, stood up and moved to meet his friend, "Logan! Mate, you are looking radiant my friend." Finn pulled Logan into a back-breaking hug.

Once Logan was released from Finn's grasp he was able to greet Colin. Logan was just as happy to see Colin but he was relieved that his welcoming gesture could be expressed in a less embarrassing one-armed hug.

"Yes, I do detect an element of happiness that was lacking the last time I saw you." Colin said, scrutinizing his friend.

"It must be the fresh air in Palo Alto." Logan was not ready to share the news of him and Rory just yet; he had to ease the boys into it a little bit.

"Or fresh women," Finn added.

Logan smiled at Finn's antics, "No, no fresh women."

Colin did not believe that at all. Logan had the same look he always got when he had had sex with an incredible woman, or when he had been with Rory. He had that look when he was around Rory and not just after they had had sex, Colin hadn't expected to see it again so soon.

The trio was still standing around the table, smiling like a bunch of fools, happy to be in one another's presence again.

"Come, come, gentlemen, let us take our seats and drink some." At Colin's words, the boys took their seats and ordered drinks.

"So, Finn, how is the horse doing?" Logan decided to get the conversation started.

"Running fast and making me lots of money."

Logan made it all the way through two rounds of pre-dinner drinks before the inevitable was brought up.

"So, Logan, since you profess there are no fresh women in your life, which must mean an un-fresh woman is responsible for the glimmer in your eyes." Finn waited for Logan to spill and when it seemed the information would not be forthcoming, he continued on. "Come on, Mate. Tell us about the un-fresh woman."

"Finn, what makes you think I have a woman in my life?"

"Because there is nothing else on this planet that can make a man look as content as you do right now except an amazing woman."

"Or women." Colin added.

Logan still sat there lip-locked, he didn't know how to get this conversation started.

"Well, I don't approve of this behavior at all. The Logan I know and love would have had no issues divulging to us the finer details of his sex life. But _you_ Californian Logan want to keep secrets and, Logan," Finn clasped his hand on Logan's shoulder and looked at him with concern etched across his face. "All secrets can do is tear us apart. Now spill or it's clear our friendship means nothing to you." Finn rested his elbows on the table and cupped his chin in his hands and batted his eyelashes at Logan.

Logan realized there was not going to be a more perfect moment than this one, he took a sip of his scotch and just when he was about to speak Colin cut him off.

"No, no, wait, don't tell us… let me guess. Is it Jenna who could do the thing with her tongue?"

Logan smirked and shook his head. "The lovely Lacy then, you know the one with the enormous…"

Logan had to end the conversation there, as fun as it was to remember some of the ladies that had graced his bed over the years, none of them had ever made him feel as good as Rory did, no matter how talented or well-endowed they were. "It's Rory."

There was a moment of dead silence at the table; Colin had even paused halfway through taking a sip of his drink. "What did you say?" Colin was confused, he was sure Logan had just said Rory was back in his life. Maybe he needed his hearing checked.

"Rory is the reason I'm so happy. I'm pleased to announce she has finally accepted my proposal." Logan took another sip of his scotch, "And we're having a baby."

"My God, man! You work fast, getting Reporter Girl pregnant already." Finn was impressed with Logan's manliness. "You must have only been back with her for what? A week?"

Well at least Finn was taking the news well; the same could not be said for Colin. He seemed to be looking at Logan very critically.

"Yeah, about a week is right, but Rory is actually seven weeks along."

"Way to go, Big Poppa." Finn offered his hand to Logan for a high five; Logan accepted the offer and was surprised when Finn pulled him into another hug. "How did Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde take the news?" Finn was of course referring to Logan's parents.

"Better than I thought they would."

Colin finally broke his silence, "You're serious, aren't you?"

Logan looked at Colin, he did not seem as please with the news as Finn was. "Yeah, I am."

Colin found himself staring into Logan's eyes; he could find no trace of humor in his best friend's eyes. "Well, I suggest you start from the beginning."

Logan had known Colin would be the one who needed to be won over. "There's not much to tell." From the look on Colin's face, Logan would have to give more of an explanation. "Okay, well a couple of weeks ago Rory called me and left a couple of voice messages. So I flew out to see her… she told me she was pregnant… we dealt with some issues and then I asked her to marry me. She said yes, and that's that."

"It can't be that simple." Colin stared at Logan in disbelief.

"Why not, Colin? I love her, she loves me. What's the issue?"

"The issue is she said no just a few weeks ago and now she turns up pregnant and agreeing to marry you."

Logan knew Colin was implying Rory was trying to entrap him, "Colin, I know where you are going with this but you're wrong. You know Rory… she would never do anything like that."

"You're right… I do know Rory and I was sure she would have said _yes_ the first time around, and I was sure she was smart enough not to get knocked up."

Logan felt instant anger, "Colin, stop!" His voice was hard and cold, he never expected Colin to be this judgmental. "Rory and I have worked this out, I trust her and I'm happy. Can't that be enough for you?" Logan was almost pleading; he didn't want to get into another fight, he wanted to celebrate his happiness with his two best friends.

"Why don't I get the full story now?"

"Because last night was hell, I just want to celebrate this. I'm so happy, Colin. I have Rory back, we are going to get married and we're having a baby, stupid me thought my friends would like to be part of it." Logan stood up; it would kill him to walk away from his friends but if they couldn't be support him in this, then they weren't the friends they claimed to be.

"Logan, man, don't go." Colin had no idea he had pushed his friend so far. "I'm sorry… you've had time to adjust to all of this… we haven't." At the word _we _both boys looked to Finn's seat.

Logan looked back at Colin, "Where did he go?"

Colin had been so focused on Logan he had not seen Finn leave either. "I have no idea." Colin looked back down at his menu. "Shall we order?"

Logan understood Colin was like him – once he had made a decision, he committed himself to it one hundred percent. And apparently Colin had decided to be Logan's friend. "What about Finn?"

"We'll just order the steak for him."

* * *

Rory and Lorelai were halfway through their first movie when they heard a car pull up the driveway, the tires crunching on the gravel. Rory looked at her mother and said, "If they knock, you can answer the door." Rory had no intentions of getting up from the couch unless it involved getting more food, or going to the bathroom.

"But what about the rules?"

"Yes, the rules of hospitality state if the lady of the house is home, it is her duty to answer the door when someone knocks."

"Don't the Gilmore Girls Movie Marathon Rules override the hospitality rules?" They could hear a car door open and close.

"Not when the person at the door can hear us."

Then the moment Lorelai had been dreading had come, someone knocked on the door. Before Lorelai had a chance to move, the door opened. Both Rory and Lorelai both looked toward the entry, shocked that someone was rude enough to just open the door. They were both surprised to see Luke enter the house and make his way upstairs; he paused on the landing and looked down at the girls, "Don't get up, I won't be long."

"Ooo-kay." Lorelai sounded unsure; she clearly had no idea what Luke was doing.

The girls listened as Luke made his way down the hallway and into Lorelai's bedroom. Then there were some odd noises that neither girl could place.

"Should we go up and check on him?" Rory asked.

"But what about the movie marathon rules?"

"Mom, you and I both know whatever Luke is doing is far more interesting than watching Tom Selleck change a diaper."

"Yes, but part of the entertainment is the food, thus pushing Tom's entertainment value through the roof."

Rory looked at the spread of food before them, "We could take the food with us."

"And therein lies the problem, we can only take some of the food with us, and what happens if I make it to the top of the stairs and decide I want a Pop Tart but we only took the donuts?"

"Well, then we could…"

"Shhh, it sounds like he's coming back downstairs."

Both girls looked above them towards the sound of Luke cursing, and some odd scraping noise, like something was being dragged down the hallway.

Both girls jumped when Lorelai's queen-sized mattress came flying down the stairs. Luke followed the mattress down and half-carried, half-dragged the mattress towards the door.

"Luke, what are you doing?"

"I'm getting rid of your old mattress." As if that was enough explanation, Luke continued out the door.

"Hey, come back here with my mattress." Luke ignored Lorelai and made his way to the door. "Luke, Luke!"

"I don't think he's coming back, Mom."

Lorelai conceded that Rory was right, jumped up from the couch and rushed out the front door, passing a new plastic-wrapped mattress in the process. Lorelai stood on her porch, hands on hips, "Luke, what are you doing?"

Luke paused in his attempted to lift the queen-sized mattress onto the back of his truck. "You said you wanted us to get pass the middle ground we're stuck in. Well, this is what I need to move on."

Rory joined her mother on the front porch; she leaned against the new mattress and watched the live entertainment.

Lorelai was confused, "You need a bed in the back of your truck to move on?"

Luke resumed his efforts to put the mattress in the back of his truck. "No, I need you to have a new mattress."

"Ooo... is that like new clothes. I've done the whole shopping for new clothes thing. Are you planning on coming back and dying on a new mattress?"

"No ..."

Lorelai was eager to try and guess what Luke was doing and cut him off, "Ooo, ooo, have you finally had enough of Taylor and you're planning on going to the mattresses?"

"No..." Luke was sounding more frustrated, Lorelai just kept cutting him off.

"Then what are you doing?"

"If you would be quiet, I can tell you." Luke paused, giving Lorelai a chance to make any last minute remarks. Only when Luke was sure Lorelai would not interrupt him did he speak. "If you want us to start our life together, I need that there not be a previous life in the house we plan to share our lives together in."

Lorelai did not know what to say but she understood that Luke did not want to sleep on the same mattress that Christopher had. Lorelai thought if that was the step Luke needed to make to start moving forward she was okay with it. Now all Lorelai needed to do was work out what her next step would be.

Luke stood, watching Lorelai's face as she processed the information. He had no idea how she would react, but he had to take the chance.

"Okay, carry on. Just make sure you remake the bed with…"

"Hospital corners on the sheets. I know." Luke didn't show it but he was relieved that Lorelai had accepted this so well. He turned back to the mattress and started trying to put the mattress back in his truck.

Lorelai walked back to the porch and stood next to Rory, both watching Luke single-handedly struggled with a queen-sized mattress.

Rory asked, "What's he doing?"

"Getting rid of Christopher."

Rory nodded her head as if the comment had made sense to her, "Should we help?"

"Where would the fun in that be? Besides you, my knocked-up daughter, have seven months ahead of you to doing nothing, no heavy lifting, no reaching for things on the top-shelf… nothing."

"You have so much to teach me, oh, wise one."

"Come o' daughter of mine and let the lessons begin." Lorelai put her arm around Rory's shoulder and started to lead her back into the house.

"Donut?" Rory offered her Mom one of the donuts she had taken with her outside.

Lorelai looked at her daughter and the food she offered. "Hmm… no, I could really go for a Pop Tart."

* * *

Logan and Colin were deep in discussion over the Boston Celtics prospect of winning the championship of the 2007-2008 NBA season; their food had just arrived including the still-missing Finn's steak.

"Oh, no!" Colin exclaimed, breaking the flow of their conversation, his attention focused on the door, Colin started laughing.

"What?"

"Finn's back." A wave of pre-emptive embarrassment washed over Logan, whatever Finn was up to, he knew he was way too sober not to feel humiliated. Logan very carefully put his knife and fork down on his plate and turned in his chair, hoping to find a way out of the situation, but he was far too late, Finn was already next to him.

Finn pulled Logan further away from the table and sat himself down on Logan's lap; he was wearing a giant blue baby bonnet with a pink frilly trim and bow. Finn threw one arm around Logan's neck while the other held a large novelty pink baby's rattle.

"Well, mate, as the first of us to become a father," Finn paused and shared a look with Colin, "That we know of, I think this needs to be celebrated in style." With that declaration, Finn took off the bonnet and tied it to Logan's head; he leaped off Logan's lap and snapped a photo with his phone. "Aww, the first baby photo." Finn wiped a pretend-tear away from his eye.

Logan laughed, "You're a little late, Finn, and the first one was yesterday." Logan took the bonnet off and placed it on the table in front of him, he had no idea how Finn had found one so quickly.

"Oh, God, please don't tell me you have a copy in your wallet." Colin could not keep the disgust from his voice.

Logan shook his head, "Are you kidding me, the photo from the ultrasound is creepy looking. We tried to give it to Lorelai but she was just as freaked out as we were. It looked like Rory is going to give birth to a smurf."

"But smurfs are cute." Finn said, confused.

"Not when neither of us are smurfs."

"Well, that is a valid point, my friend." Finn sat himself down in front of his steak, happy to find his food was still hot.

"Now, mate, I would like to take this opportunity to officially submit my application for the roles of both best man and godfather. I think you will find that I am highly qualified for both."

Logan was intrigued. Finn was one of the most irresponsible people he knew. Finn normally ran from responsibility, and being responsible was a key quality when being a best man or a godfather. "And pray tell what makes you think you're qualified?"

"I am an excellent speech maker, and I have watched all three _Godfather_ movies many, many times. I think I've got the concept of the job down very well."

"Finn, I don't understand how you're good with this so soon." Colin was shocked at Finn's acceptance of the situation. "Just a few weeks ago you were calling Rory a heartless wench."

Finn makes a waving motion in the air, as if none of Colin's points were valid. "As was my friendly duty at the time. But you and I both know these two are meant to be together. They are the reason so many sickening boy bands exist. Love like theirs has inspired sonnets and acrostic poems  
and the occasional dirty limerick for centuries."

Both Colin and Logan looked at Finn; they had no idea Finn felt that way about Rory and Logan. "Finn, I had no idea you were such a romantic."

"Colin, my friend, I will admit I thought there were some major faults to Logan's tactic of wooing a girl… but I have come to discover there is some merit to the technique."

Logan had accepted he was not required in this part of the conversation, it seemed Colin and Finn had spent a great deal of time discussing his relationship with Rory.

"Yes, but wooing takes time." Colin said in all sincerity.

"Not so, my friend. I have discovered that a girl is more likely to fall into bed with you if she believes you could fall in love with her."

Logan smiled and shook his head, it hadn't been that long ago he would have happily been sharing his wooing techniques, but luckily those days were over. Not that Logan believed it was a bad lifestyle or wrong, the girls knew what they were getting into when they dated guys like Colin and Finn.

Logan was tempted to share a bit of wisdom with the boys: that all the tactics and moves meant nothing when it was the right girl. Logan had thought he had known everything there was to know about women until Rory. Rory had challenged every belief he had had about women and life. He had once thought Rory wasn't worth the drama, but he was older and wiser now and knew that she was indeed worth it.

"We're getting side-tracked here, Finn, there is no possible way that you are going to be godfather."

"And why not?" Finn sounded outraged.

"Finn, you are aware that the godfather's duties do not involve going to the mattresses and making people offers they can't refuse?" Colin searched Finn's eye's trying to find a glimmer of intelligence.

"Well, if a godfather isn't there from stand-over tactics, I have no idea what they are supposed to do." Finn sat back in his chair and took a long drink.

"They are meant to guide a child spiritually."

Finn tipped his now empty glass at Colin, "Well, I'll tell you what, Colin, you can guide the child spiritually and I will guide the child in the way of the spirits, Black Douglass, Wild Turkey..." Finn became distracted by the pretty blond waitress that walked by, he touched her arm. "Be a love and bring me a refill, in fact bring us all a refill."

"Finn you and I both know I am going to be best man, I've know Logan longer and I can stay sober longer than you can." Colin said looking self satisfied.

"And it's your sobriety that makes you inappropriate for the role. We all know the best speeches are given when one is communing with the spirits."

Logan could see his two friends starting to get worked up, "Boys, boys, you can duke this out at a later time. Rory and I aren't getting married right away."

"Not if the powers of Mordor have anything to do with it."

"Well, lucky for me, Colin, they don't have any say in the matter. Neither of us wants a shotgun wedding so we are going to wait until after the baby is born."

"Good, that gives me plenty of time as your best man to plan the buck's night." Finn smiled at the waitress as she placed their drinks in front of them. "How do you feel about the dance of five veils?" Finn looked at Logan in all seriousness.

Colin could not resist the urge to correct Finn, "Don't you mean seven veils?"

"You see this just proves that Colin is not qualified to be your best man, with five veils you get to the good parts much quicker."

* * *

Logan entered the quiet house. It was late and he hadn't planned on being away for so long, but he had lost track of time. Logan walked into the living room and found Lorelai sitting alone, watching the _Omen_.

"Hey Lorelai." Logan had never felt at ease around Lorelai, he desperately wanted her to accept and like him, he just wasn't sure how.

"Hi Logan," Lorelai glanced up from the movie she was watching. "Rory is asleep in her room."

Logan wasn't sure how to interpret that comment. Did it mean he was meant to join Rory or was Lorelai just informing him of her whereabouts? "I suppose I should go check on her."

Lorelai could hear the uncertainty in Logan's voice. "Or you could stay here and join me… thanks to Rory falling asleep halfway through the second movie I have a huge amount of junk food."

"Okay, sure, I haven't seen the original _Omen_ since I was in boarding school." Logan made his way around and sat next to Lorelai, leaving a comfortable amount of space between them. Logan surveyed the spread of junk food before him. "It seems that Rory got more than her looks from you."

"Huh?" Lorelai looked away from the movie.

"The junk food," Logan pointed to the copious amount of food. "Well, actually just the whole eating food thing in general."

"Yes, society girls and eating don't generally go hand in hand."

"You have no idea." Logan looked at Lorelai, "Sorry, of course you do. You grew up in High Society."

"I like to think I just lived in it for a while, I did my growing up here in Stars Hollow."

They sat in silence as they watched Gregory Peck discover his son was the antichrist. It wasn't the most comfortable of silences either had ever had, but it wasn't the worst either.

Logan couldn't take it any longer, he felt like he should say something to his future mother in-law. "Rory showed me the Independence Inn yesterday."

"Yeah, she told me! What were you thinking? Making her walk that far?"

"Not you, too, I'm sorry, okay, I will never make Rory walk more than ten feet again. I will buy her one of those scooter things that old people use so if she does have to walk any further than ten feet she doesn't have to strain herself."

"Well, as long as you have learned your lesson," Lorelai frowned in seriousness.

Logan smiled at Lorelai, "Oh, trust me I have." Logan let the silence between them settle again, it wasn't quite as uncomfortable as it had been before. "The Inn was amazing; I can see why it means so much to both of you."

"Oh, Logan, don't do that, you don't have to suck up to me by telling me what you think I want to hear." Lorelai was being genuine, she could not tolerate sycophants, but genuine flattery on the other hand was always welcome.

"I'm not trying to suck up to you, I meant what I said… that place was amazing and it is a shame to see it in such disrepair."

"Well, one day someone will come along and breathe life into it again."

Logan picked up on the wistfulness in Lorelai's voice, "Ever considered buying it yourself?"

"Yeah, every night in my dreams."

"You could probably secure the loan against the Dragonfly." Logan slipped into business mode, he could imagine what Lorelai could do if she got her hands on the place.

"I don't have a good history with banks; they tend to laugh at me." Lorelai was not ashamed to share this information.

"I have no idea why they would do that. Have they not been to the Dragonfly?"

Lorelai gives Logan a critical look, "You're still trying to butter me up, aren't you?"

"Maybe, how am I doing?" Logan smirked at Lorelai, whilst he had been genuine in his comments he was trying to make Lorelai like him.

"Not bad. Popcorn?"

"Yes, please."

They sat back and started watching the movie in a now-comfortable silence. In fact, Logan felt so comfortable he decided to speak his mind, "I just want you to think I'm good enough for Rory."

Lorelai sighed, paused the movie and turned to face Logan. "Logan, you're going to discover this for yourself soon… no one is good enough for your baby." Lorelai watched as disappointment crossed Logan's face, dropped his head and looked at his hands, "But, Logan?"

Logan looked up, "Yeah?"

"You'll do." Lorelai watched a smile come over Logan's face.

"Lorelai, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," Lorelai answered very casually, while stuffing popcorn in her mouth.

"When I asked for your permission to marry Rory, did you know that she would say no?"

"Oh, geez… Logan, are you sure you want to talk about this?"

"Yeah... you know her better than anyone else... I just want to know."

"I honestly didn't know. I knew she loved you, and that she could see herself marrying you one day. But I thought that the timing was wrong."

"So, you thought that she would say no."

"No, I hoped she would say no."

"What?" Logan could not keep the sound of shock out of his voice.

"Let me finish… I hoped she would say no because I didn't think that she was ready to become Mrs. Huntzberger."

"Rory said the exact same thing to me. What on earth does that suppose to mean?"

"It means that you're in a job where you are expected to schmooze clients and their partners. It means that there will be times when you will travel for weeks on end or work eighteen-hour days for a month, and to be the wife that you need, Rory will have to hold back on her work and I think that she deserved a chance to do what she wanted in her career."

"But I would have never have asked her to give up anything, even now I'm not asking that of her… the schmoozing thing can wait."

"You may be content for it to wait but Rory won't be. You know her. When has she ever done things half-assed?"

"You're right."

Lorelai smiled, "I know... Have you not learned yet that I am very rarely wrong?"

"Another trait Rory got from you." Logan sat for a moment, contemplating everything Lorelai had said, "Why didn't you tell me all of this?"

"Because… what if I had been wrong? It wasn't my place to say anything."

"But you're sure that in time she would have said yes, even without the baby?"

"Yeah, I really do."

"And I wasn't sucking up," Logan said offhandedly as he reached for another popcorn ball. "I really did like the Inn."

"Please, you grew up in a palace."

"Have you been to my parent's house?"

"My mother swears that I went when I was eight, but I have no memory of it."

"Well, let me give you the verbal tour… icy cold marble dead ahead, slaughter house to the right, and den of depravity just down the hall and to your left..."

Lorelai sat in thought, "And the torture chamber was just before the dining room?"

"That's right."

"Ahh, I think I remember it now."

"Yeah, I try to block that place out as well." Logan reached for the bowl of popcorn; he had loved them since Rory had introduced them to him on his birthday.

* * *

Now show me how much you have missed me and send a review...

You can now catch up with me on Twitter under the name QueenFerret


	17. Chapter 17

First I want to say sorry for the delay in the update... life has sucked in the last 12 months. Secondly I lost motivation for this story; I already have the outline written for the next 7 chapters. I hope by posting this chapter my motivation will return and I will start writing again.

Thirdly to my beautiful wonderful beta's Tash and Miss Anonymous my internet server updated and lost all of my email contacts, if you still want to be my beta PM me, if not that's okay, I understand that you have lives and collage and work. Thank you for your time and thank you for making me a better writer.

With no further delay please enjoy chapter 17.

* * *

Rory was standing in the back of the ballroom with all the other reporters. Her feet were killing her; she had spent the last twenty minutes shifting her weight from one foot to the other, trying to find some relief from the aching pain.

She had picked a pair of one inch heels; expecting to look professional and a little formal for tonight's function. Normally Rory could have spent all day and all night in these heels no problem, but apparently another symptom of being pregnant had emerged, her feet were killing her.

Rory decided she still had at least two hours of pain ahead of her, so instead of counting down the one-hundred and twenty minutes of agony, she decided to focus her attention on the mayor. He had had nine martinis since Rory has started counting, she was sure if she watched him long enough a scandalous story would come her way.

She jumped when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning, she was, surprised to see Shira Huntzberger standing before her.

"Oh I'm sorry Rory; I didn't mean to frighten you." Shira smiled at Rory, trying to show how sincere she was, but even to Shira the smile felt fake, Shira wasn't sure she knew how to smile and mean it any more.

"No that's okay; I was just focusing on something else."

A silence descended upon them, Shira knew if she didn't say something soon it would become an uncomfortable silence.

"I used to do that as well." Rory just gave Shira a questioning look. Shira lent in and whispered "When I was pregnant my feet would hurt all the time." Shira pulled away to see Rory's face light up with understanding.

"How did you know my feet were hurting?" Rory whispered back.

"The way you kept shifting foot from foot," Shira was still whispering.

Rory felt silly, "Why are we whispering?"

"I thought you were trying to keep it quiet that you were… you know."

Rory laughed, "It's okay Shira, I've only got a couple of weeks left on the job before my replacement takes over, so I'm not keeping it a secret anymore, not that it was ever really a secret in the first place."

It had been almost impossible to keep Rory's engagement secret from a bus load of reporters and Logan was just too much of a recognizable figure. That and the fact that the internet is a wonderful thing and if you type Logan Huntzberger into Google you get 68300 hits and Rory's name is in over 12900 of those hits.

Rory was surprised her fallow reporters had not published the news about the engagement and baby, Kelly, Rory's one time roommate believed it was because many of the reporters they were surrounded by thought they were above publishing gossip.

"Oh how silly I must have looked, I didn't know the cat was out of the bag." Shira kicked herself for her pick of words; she hadn't meant them to sound nasty. Shira cleared her suddenly blocked throat, "So does that mean we can start to tell people? It's our first grandchild you know and it has been so hard keeping the news quiet."

Rory was speechless she had believed the Huntzberger's would want to try and keep the whole baby out of wedlock quiet. Rory knew all about societies dirty little secrets, after all she was one herself.

"I don't see a problem with telling your friends and family the news."

"Wonderful." The way Shira had smiled said wonderful made Rory question if she had agreed to more than she thought she had.

"So how long have you known about your replacement?"

"Well it's fairly new, I only found out two days ago."

"Are you feeling okay about that? I mean you have worked so hard to be a reporter and now you're having to give it up so soon."

Rory was confused, Shira almost sounded genuine."I'm okay, it's not like I'm going to stop writing, I'll be going free lance for a while." If her feet weren't hurting so much, Rory would have been impressed with how civil this was going.

"Well isn't that nice."

Shira watch Rory as she shifted her weight again from one foot to the other. "Rory why don't you come and join me at our table, that way you can have a seat while we have a little chat." Shira looked at the reporters standing either side of Rory, whilst no one was looking at them directly; they were clearly all paying close attention.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm really not supposed to." Rory wasn't just making excuses, there was meant to be a very clear line between the media and guests, lest there be any unexpected quotes in the morning paper.

"Darling, you're part of this family now, for you they will make an exception." Shira took Rory gently by the arm and lead her to a circular table.

Rory kept waiting for someone to yell foul and tell her to get back into her place. No one even glanced her way, apparently being a Huntzberger did have its benefits.

She looked at the seat Shira offered her, knowing she was blurring the line between work and personal life, but as another lightning bolt of pain shot up her legs she decided she really didn't care.

Rory sat down and was so grateful she could almost kiss Shira out of gratitude. Almost.

"Rory I wanted to talk to you but I wanted to do it in private."

Damn, Rory thought, she did not want to be having a conversation with Shira Huntzberger

while she was working that required privacy.

Shira took a deep breath; she knew it was now or never.

"Rory I want to…" Rory could almost see Shira choke on her own words. "I regret what I said to you last time." Shira stopped, giving Rory a chance to speak, if she wanted to. After a few moment of silence it became apparent Rory had nothing to say, yet.

"I had no right to say what I did. It's just, well I hadn't forgiven you for hurting Logan and I know Logan thinks I don't care about him, but I do. I just want him to be happy and you make him the happiest I've ever seen him."

Rory started contemplating if she should be recording this conversation, surly it was the first time Shira had ever apologized for anything, ever. Rory looked at Shira, who was looking down, tracing patterns on the table cloth and found herself having pity on Shira who really seemed nervous.

"I don't understand the business side of things, Mitchum's never wanted me involved with it and I thought Logan would want the same things in a wife as Mitchum and I knew you couldn't give him that."

Rory felt her anger start to boil, this woman, who preferred to have hot rock massages over attending to Logan whilst he had been in intensive care, dared to think she knew what he wanted. "But that wasn't for you to decide." Rory's voice almost sounded cruel.

"I know Rory. I was wrong to think I knew what Logan wanted and I was wrong about you. I think it's because I see so much of Mitchum in Logan." Shira sighed and finally looked up at Rory. "But Logan doesn't want someone just standing by his side to support him."

"And what do you think Logan wants?" Rory couldn't keep the sarcasm from her voice; she doubted Shira knew what she wanted let alone anyone else.

"Logan wants someone, who can…" Shira paused trying to find the right words, "He wants someone to join him in this and you can do that." Rory looked around the room and for the first time realized despite the hundreds of people gathered Shira was alone.

This function really was not a social event, it was dominated by business people, and Shira was out of her comfort zone.

Rory found herself at a loss for words, what do you say to the woman who had spent the last three years being openly hostile to you, who had just done everything except say 'I apologize?'

"Thank you for the talk Shira." Rory meant every word; she could see it had cost Shira a great deal to say what she said. "I'd better get back to my post."

Rory was up and out of her chair before Shira realized the moment was over, "Oh Rory?"

"Yes?" Rory turned back to face Shira.

"Logan hasn't called home since you two made your little announcement." Shira tried to make her voice sound indifferent, as if it didn't hurt her that she hadn't heard from her son in seven weeks.

"Next time I talk to Logan, I'll ask him to call home."

"I would appreciate that."

Shira smiled at Rory; the first genuine smile Rory had ever seen from the woman, Rory found herself smiling back before standing on her still sore feet and walking away.

* * *

Rory was making her way back to her fellow reports, her little heart to heart with Shira had taken up a good thirty-four minutes, she weaved her way in and out of the crowd, deliberately taking a longer route than necessary, hoping to kill even more time, besides you never where your next story will come from.

Rory passed the mayor, who was hitting on a woman, who was not his wife; in fact she was a member of Obama's campaign. Rory was paying so much attention to the brewing story it took her several moments to realize someone was calling her name. Rory looked around searching for the source of the voice, Rory was surprised when she saw not one but two familiar faces, and she smiled and waved. Rory found herself excited as the long absent pair made their way to her, her pain temporarily forgotten.

"Rory Gilmore, as I live and breathe."

"No one is more surprised than I am, Louise." Rory smiled at the sound of blonde's drawling voice. Louise was dressed in an electric blue off the shoulder Greek style dress; diamonds graced her ears, neck and wrist. Her blond hair was pulled back some kind of fancy twist.

Rory looked at Louise's ever present companion, "Hey Madeline." Madeline was dressed just as well in her silver nineteen thirties style gown, her dark hair styles with perfect waves that would make many a Hollywood starlet proud.

Madeline waved and answered in her still perky voice, "Hi."

Louise looked over Rory's clothing with disapproval; to her Rory was not dressed event appropriate. "So Rory what are you doing here?"

Rory did not feel self conscious in the presence of the evening wear pair; she knew she looked good in her black high wasted pencil skirt, and her dove grey satin shirt. Her hair was pulled back into a knot at the base of her neck, with a couple of lose locks of hair to soften the look. Logan had once described the look as hot librarian. "I'm working, I'm a reporter."

"And here I was hoping you would be accompanying your hunky boyfriend Logan Huntzberger." Louise sounded disappointed.

Rory hadn't seen Louise or Madeline since spring break of her freshman year, to the best of her knowledge Paris hadn't kept in touch with them ether. "How do you know I'm with Logan?"

"The society page." Rory nodded, she had been photographed by Logan's side many times and of course these two keep up to date with the society pages.

"And he's my fiancé actually." Rory smiled as she watch Madeline and Louise's look of surprise, Rory knew this would impress them.

"Well, well, Rory Gilmore you did not strike me as the ambitious type." Louise gave Rory a knowing smile.

"I'm not ambitious, I love him."

Rory said it with such sincerity that Louise knew it was true; Rory had always been the odd one out. "Aww isn't that sweet."

"Oh my god! Look at that ring." Madeline grabbed Rory's hand and held it up so Louise could inspect the ring as well.

"Nice brilliant cut, one and a half carat diamond." Louise said.

"Flawless." Madeline replied.

Louise turned Rory's hand so they could see the ring better. "In platinum."

"The smaller brilliant cut diamonds and channel set princess cuts on the band must bring it up to three carats." Rory not only felt irrelevant in the conversation that was happening before her, she also knew none of this information about the ring. To her it has just been an expensive yet tasteful ring Logan had picked out just for her.

Louise nodded in agreement, "Color?"

"D or E?"

Madeline held Rory's hand closer to her face so the most amount of light would hit it. "Don't know, hard to tell in this light. Even if it's E it makes up for the ring not being huge."

"Hmm quality over quantity."

"Classy."

Louise looked up at Rory, "Tiffany's?"

"I don't know." Rory looked at her ring, she had no idea one little ring could mean so much. That's not to say she didn't think the ring was beautiful and she knew it was ridiculously expensive, but that's not why she loved it. Rory loved it because Logan said it had taken him three weeks to find this ring, the perfect ring.

"Well you should know, because when you're an invited guest and not a reporter these things become very important, these functions become the war of the bling. For instance I am wearing a pair of four carat, vintage Carter pear shaped diamond earrings, set in platinum, the only pair ever made. You can sink a rival man's company by making his wife want whatever it is you have."

Both Madeline and Louise could see Rory was lost by how important their role was when Madeline started the explanation. "For instance Louise and I can double team because we are dating the Morgan's out of Morgan, Morgan and Finch Lawyers."

Louise picks up where Madeline left off, "They have a big case against that woman's husband tomorrow, and she is going to annoy him all night and morning. He needs to get her some bling that out shines ours."

Madeline takes back over, "Hubby has little sleep, he's not as focused when he get to the court room and our men win the case."

Rory didn't really believe they could be that distracting, but she knew not to argue with the girls when it came to those kinds of things.

"Ooo Louise we are being called."

Louise looked over to where Madeline was pointing, "Sorry Rory we've got to go."

Rory looked at two very good looking guys dressed in suites waving at the girls. "Okay by guys, have fun."

"Oh we will." Madeline and Louise walked away without looking back at Rory, they seemed happy with their life.

Rory had just found her way back her post with the rest of the press contingency, when one of the waiters caught her attention.

"Excuse me Miss Gilmore?"

"Yes?"

"Mrs. Huntzberger sent this chair over for you."

Rory smiled at the waiter and let him set the chair down. "Thank you."

* * *

Once she was seated, Rory scanned the crowed and found Shira standing by Mitchum's side. Rory mouthed _thank you_, Shira smiled back and leaned closer into her husband.

Rory hadn't even closed the door to her hotel room before slipping off her shoes and calling Logan.

"Hey Ace." Logan had been expecting Rory's call, they talked most nights before going to bed, Logan paused the movie he had been watching so he could focus on Rory.

Rory didn't even bother with a proper greeting, "Okay so did an intergalactic phenomenon occur while I was working for the last few hours?"

"Not that I have heard of." Logan sat up a little straighter in his chair, he had a feeling this was leading somewhere.

Rory sat down on the bed cradling her phone between her shoulder and ear and started to take off her thigh high stockings. "Has the earth been invaded by a group of aliens that attach themselves to humans and control their thoughts."

"I have yet to see any spaceships outside my window."

"Well keep looking; warn the general populace to lock up their cats because Alf is due to land any minute now." Rory threw her stockings across the room and was glad Logan had arranged for her own room as she started to unbutton her shirt.

Logan laughed, "What happened?"

"Your mother was nice to me."

"No way!" There was nothing Rory could have said to cause Logan to feel more shocked.

"Yes way. She invited me to sit at your parents table; she even sent a chair over."

"Why would she send a chair?"

Rory slipped off her shirt and started working on her skirt. "My feet have really been hurting me lately."

For a moment Logan regretted that he was missing another part of Rory's pregnancy. He wanted to be the first person to know that Rory's feet were hurting. He wanted to be the one to find her a chair, not his mother. For the first time in his life, Logan found himself being jealous of his mother that she had been there for Rory tonight in a way that he could not. Logan ignored his insecurities and his hatred of the physical distance that stood between them. "What did my mother say?"

Rory put her phone on loud speaker and slipped into her nighty, and combed out her hair while she gave Logan an overview of her conversation with Shira. "Your Mom also said your Dad wanted someone who knew squat about the family business. He got enough of that crap from work and his dad and she thought you wanted someone who understands the industry, someone you can share it with."

"Huh, I never thought my mother knew me so well."

"So she was right?" Rory sat back on the bed and started rubbing her feet.

"You know she was right Ace." Logan was frustrated with how insecure Rory sounded; she only ever got this way when she thought she was doing something wrong. He hoped she would just come out and say whatever it was so he could deal with it, otherwise she would stew over it for days or even weeks. "I would get bored with a trophy wife. Besides with you I get the whole package."

"I'm a whole package?"

"You sure are. Your beautiful, intelligent, have a great sense of humor and you can organize an event with the best of them."

"You make me sound boring." Rory pouted even though Logan couldn't see it.

Logan was confused, "How did you get boring out of that?"

"I don't know it's just… well you always picked on women like that and said they were boring."

"You're right Ace I find women who do nothing but organize functions and prattle on about useless gossip boring. But you Ace are anything but boring and you only ever share useful and entertaining gossip." Logan hoped this was all that had been bothering Rory.

"Okay," Rory wasn't really reassured by the answer but she didn't have the energy to delve into the subject any further. "Oh before I forget apparently your Mom misses you and wants you to call home."

Logan groaned, "Ace please tell me you did tell her I would call."

"No I just said I would ask you." Rory took a sip of the orange juice that had been sitting on her side table.

"In my mother's head that's as good as say I'll call by the end of the night."

Rory put her juice down, "Don't be ridiculous it's late here and it's really late where you are, surely that gives you time."

"Nope no time, she knew you would call me as soon as you could, so therefore in her mind I will call her tonight." Logan got up and turned off his T.V. "Well I'd better call her, the less time she has for the neurosis to set in the better the phone call will be for me."

"I'm sorry Logan; I didn't think this would cause any problems for you." Rory started feeling irrational, "I don't know what I was thinking."

"It's okay Ace," Logan used his most gentle voice, he felt like he was talking Rory off from an edge. Logan had noticed Rory was going through phases of complete irrationality and mild dumbness. He assumed it was from the pregnancy hormones. "I was going to have to call her sooner or later."

"Oh, okay. Logan…"

"Yeah Ace?"

"I…" Rory hesitated, "I miss you."

Logan smiled, "I miss you too Ace, but that's not what you were going to say." There was a long silence, "Ace what is it?"

"Logan do… do I do everything for you that I'm supposed to?"

Logan knew there had been something bothering Rory. "Well I can think of one or two things you could do for me now, but you can't because of the distance. But other than that I have no complaints."

Rory let the dirty comment slide, "You're sure I do everything I'm supposed to?"

"Rory, what are you talking about?"

Rory found herself feeling stupid about her insecurities, "I meet these two girls I know from school Madeline and Louise."

"Ahh the Love Twins of Hartford."

"I don't know what's more disturbing the fact you called them the Love Twins or that I know who the Love Twins are."

"Ace, get back to the point, we'll discuss your knowledge of porn starts later."

Rory blushed, "Okay, well, umm, they were talking about how they have an important role when it comes to their boyfriends business deals."

"Ace, I don't know what they told you but women like Madeline and Louise have been trying to justify the fact that they do nothing to receive the privileges they get for years. They make up little games among themselves to make them feel important."

Rory had been thinking along the same line, but she needed to hear it confirmed. "So you're sure I do everything I'm supposed to?"

Logan wished he could hold Rory right now and prove to her that she was enough, just the way she was. "Yes I'm sure."

"Okay well I'd better let you so you can call your Mom."

"Agh! Don't remind me."

Rory laughed at how dramatic Logan was being. "Goodnight Logan, I love you."

"I love you to Ace."


	18. Chapter 18

It was late Rory was lying in bed trying desperately to ignore her phone, it had been ringing for close to ten minutes, as soon as the phone went to the message service, the caller would hang up, only to dial again. Rory knew who was calling she had check the caller ID and when she had read the name _Paris_she decided to ignore it. Paris could wait until the sun was high in the sky.

Finally the phone went silent for more than ten seconds but it wasn't until the phone had been silent for more than a minute that Rory allowed herself to relax, she was just about asleep when the phone rang, only this time is was the hotel phone ringing.

Panic gripped Rory, only Lorelai, Hugo and Logan had this number and the only reason to call this early would be if something bad had happened. Rory reached out in the darkened room trying to find the phone, her worry making the task all the harder. Giving up on finding the phone in the dark she clicked on the side table lamp and was temporarily blinded by the sudden light; she squinted and finally found the elusive phone.

"Hello?" Rory couldn't keep the panic from her voice.

"About time!"

Rory cringed at the sound of Paris's fully awake and peeved sounding voice, "Paris, how did you get this number?"

"Your boss Hugo gave it to me. At first he tried to ignore me like you did but in the end he caved like the little pig that built his house of straw." Paris was sitting at the desk in Doyle's small but adequate apartment. From where she was sitting Paris could see into the bed room where Doyle was asleep like any other sane person.

"Paris I wasn't ignoring you. I was asleep."

"Please! No one sleeps through their phone ringing fifteen times." Paris said dismissively.

Rory sighed, "Fine I was trying to sleep, just like you should be."

"I can't sleep I'm still on Indian time."

Rory conceded defeat, sat up in bed and drank the last of her orange juice. Apparently Paris had the need to talk and was not going to let Rory sleep until she was heard. "So Paris, why are you calling me at three o'clock in the morning?"

"Why am I calling? Hmm let me think." Rory could hear Paris drumming her fingers impatiently. "Could it be I've been back in the country for two days and have yet to hear from you? Hmm nope, that's not it. I'm just not that needy." Rory wanted to laugh, Paris was the highest maintenance person she knew and considering her mother was Lorelai Gilmore that was saying something. "Maybe it could be you have a job and didn't even have the decency to tell me?" Rory hoped Paris would make a point soon. "Maybe it could be you are engaged after having turned down Morgan Edge the first time and couldn't even take the time to call me. Hmm yes I think that might me it."

"Paris I wasn't keeping it from you."

"Really? Because most people when they become engaged tell their best friends. In fact they usually can't wait to tell them."

"I was going to tell you, but like you said, you have just gotten back in the county and I have a job. I really haven't had a chance to call you."

"Are you so struck dumb by charm you couldn't even leave me a message? Text me, write a letter make smoke signals."

"Can you even read smoke signals?"

"Of cause I can and you should have lit a fire from the highest hill, Pocahontas."

Rory shook her head, "I have no idea what that means."

"It means there was no reason you could not have left a message, so the moment I came home I would have found out directly from the source."

"And to think I have been underestimating the communication prowess of smoke. If one puff of smoke can say all of that I'm trading my cell in for a bong and a box of matches."

"I had a right to hear it from you." Apparently Paris was not open to humor.

"Paris, how did you find out anyway?" Rory couldn't think of anyone who would have told Paris about the engagement.

"Aha!" Paris shouted so loud Rory had to pull the phone away from her ear. "So you were trying to keep it from me, which was completely pointless since the little article in the paper." Paris glared down at the newspaper in front of her; the article featured a large photo of Roy and Logan looking sickeningly happy. "Nice photo by the way."

"Paris I have no idea what you're talking about." Rory said genuinely confused, whilst her engagement was not a secret it certainly wasn't public knowledge and she sure as hell hadn't authorized any public announcements about the engagement.

"Really? I find it hard to believe as the engagement section of The Courant has this big glossy article on how one of America's most eligible bachelors is officially off the market. It seems daddy Huntzberger loves you now."

Rory was not impressed, there is no way Mitchum would have published the article without approval, Logan must have authorized it without consulting her. Rory clenched her phone harder; she would deal with the article and Logan's involvement later.

Rory debated on whether to share with Paris the news of her pregnancy now; clearly the article did not mention the pregnancy and Rory knew Paris's reaction would make an atom bomb look like a water balloon and she was unsure if she had the energy to deal with the fallout now.

Rory sighed; the band aid approach usually worked best where Paris was concerned.

"Well considering how thrilled you are about the engagement, you're going to be tickled pink with my next bit of news. I'm pregnant."

"Ha, ha, very funny." Paris's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"I'm glad you find my condition amusing."

Paris's voice became serious, pregnancy was not something to joke about, "Rory really it's not funny."

"Good thing I wasn't trying to be, there is nothing worse than a comedian who isn't funny." Rory was starting to wonder what she would have to do to convince Paris she wasn't joking.

"You're serious?" Pairs couldn't believe Rory, the Virgin Mary was pregnant.

"I am and I have the disturbing ultrasound photo to prove it."

Paris looked into the bed room at the sound of Doyle moving in his sleep. She got up and closed the door; the last thing she wanted was to give Doyle any ideas about children. "Rory I know you admire your Mom and all that crap but don't you think being inspired by her family planning is taking it a little far?"

"Hey!" Rory huffed, "My Mom has nothing to do with this."

"You know according to research, a single teen mother's child is four times more likely to become a single parent themselves."

"A, I am not a teenager and B, I am not single." Rory could feel herself getting worked up; she took some deep breaths trying to calm herself.

"Is that why you agreed to marry the sperm donor, so you wouldn't have to be a single parent?" Paris was seething she couldn't believe how stupid Rory had been.

"Paris, Logan is not just the sperm donor, I love him." Rory felt her anger slip away, she was tired of having this conversation with people. Her Mom or grade average had nothing to do with her getting pregnant, contraception no matter what form it is in, is not one hundred per cent perfect. Rory and Logan just happened to be one of the lucky few to prove it was not infallible.

"I know you do, I've never understood it but I know you love him but I also know you wanted a career first."

"I'm still going to have a career; it's just not going to happen the way I had planned."

"But are you okay with the plan changing?"

This was the first time anyone had asked Rory this question, the fact it came from Paris reminded Rory that despite how brash she could be, Paris really was her friend and cared for her. "Yes I am. I have to be."

Paris looked down at the smiling photo of Rory and Logan one last time before pushing it away and sitting back in her chair. "So what happens now?"

"Well in the short term I plan on going back to sleep. In the long term, I'll finish up work in a few weeks and join Logan in California."

"So you're going to become Suzie Home Maker?" The way Paris had said _Suzie Home Maker_made it sound like a dirty word.

"No, I was thinking I would be more like Donna Reed." Rory smiled as she remembered dressing up for Dean as the classic 1950's house wife. It was nice to finally be able to look back at her time with Dean fondly, instead of just feeling pain or shame.

"Donna Reed was a useless woman who represented everything that was wrong with the world pre bra burning."

"Not true she was a writer and uncredited producer on the show and she did the whole Mom thing as well."

Paris hadn't known these facts and she found herself not caring, no example would ever make her okay with the path Rory's life had taken. "Well whoopee for her."

"Paris, can the attitude, I'm happy. No, things didn't happen in the order I thought they would but then life has a funny way of doing that. Just let it go."

"I can't just let it go."

"Well Paris you're going to have to, it's late I'm tired and I have to get up early."

"This discussion is not over young lady."

"Believe me Paris I know, but I'm going back to sleep now. Good night." Rory hung up before Paris could say another word. She turned the lamp off, nestled herself back down under the covers and waited for sleep to find her.

Twenty minutes later Rory was still wide awake and could not see sleep coming in the near future. Her mind kept running over her conversation with Paris, she couldn't believe Mitchum would have printed an article about them without Logan's permission.

In a huff Rory gave up on sleep, she turned on the lights, throw the blankets off her, grabbed her laptop and a new bottle of orange juice from the mini bar.

Rory quickly typed in The Courant's web address, and sure enough on the home page was a large photo of Logan and Rory, it was not a photo from one of the many functions they had attended and been snapped at. This was a privet photo, one taken when Rory had visited Logan in London for Christmas.

Rory was enraged; this photo was proof Logan had gone behind her back after they had agreed to keep the engagement quiet while she was following Obama.

Rory was so angry she almost dropped the phone while dialing Logan's number; the phone had barely rang once before Logan answered it.

"Ace what's wrong?" Logan had awoken almost instantly at the sound of the Twilight Zone theme being played by his phone, it was Rory's ring tone and a call at this time of night could not be good.

"Ohh I think you know what's wrong mister, don't play coy with me." Rory crossed her arms and glared out into the empty room as if Logan could see her from the other side of the country.

The anger in Rory's voice caught Logan off guard, to the best of his knowledge he had done nothing in the few hours since he had last spoken to Rory to upset her. "I'm not being coy; I honestly don't know what's wrong."

"Think really hard Logan, it involves you giving you parents something of ours that was personal."

"Rory what are you talking about?" Logan was getting worried, what had his parents done now.

"I suggest you have a look at The Courant's website and then just try and tell me you have nothing to do with this."

Logan looked at his clock, "Rory it's almost one in the morning can't this wait?"

"No, it can't if I had to find out at three in the morning you can find out at one."

"Okay, alright. I'll just go get my laptop, I'll be back."

Rory waited patiently for Logan to come back, she could feel herself starting to calm down, she didn't know why she had gotten so worked up over this, it wasn't that big of a deal. Maybe this was the hormones talking, or a lake of sleep taking its toll.

Rory heard a clunk as Logan picked his phone back up, "Rory I have nothing to do with this. I swear I don't know how they got this photo."

"It's okay Logan I know."

Logan smirked, "And you couldn't have worked this out before calling me?" Logan settled himself back in bed, his laptop resting on his legs.

"Apparently not, stupid hormones." Rory closed her laptop, no longer wanting to look at the privet photo that had been made very public by the Huntzberger's.

"Rory I didn't know about the article, but it was going to become public information sooner or later."

"I know, you're right. I think Paris throw me for a moment."

"Paris?"

"Yes, it was the lovely Paris who informed me of the article."

Logan checked the article on his laptop for when it had been published, "But the article is set to come out today how could she already know about it?" Rory was about to answer Logan, but he answered it himself. "You know what don't worry about it, it's Paris."

"I don't get why they published this now, we're barely on speaking terms."

Logan was puzzled, "I think I really scared my Mom and Dad when I stopped speaking to Mom. There is no way they would have done this without one of us approving it; I don't think they would risk me shutting them out, not with the next heir on the way."

Rory's thoughts flashed back to her conversation with Shira earlier in the night and a terrible thought came to her. "Oh no."

"Ace what is it?"

"I think it was me that gave the green light," Rory said sheepishly.

"And you're only remembering this now? What on earth did you say to my Mother to make her think this would be okay?" Logan wasn't angry with Rory, he found it hard to believe she would ever say anything to his mother to make he think this article would be okay with them.

"She asked if she could start telling her friends about us, and I said yes." Rory opened her laptop again, seeing her and Logan's smiling face as they had sat in Hyde Park eating fish and chips. It had been a cold day and Rory's cheeks were flushed making her blue eyes look even more spectacular than normal. "I don't know how your mom would take that as permission to print an article about us."

"What can I say? It's another fine Huntzberger tradition, misinterpreting what people say to suit your own motives."

"But how did they get the article out so quickly?"

"Ace, have you forgotten who you're talking about? My Dad has probably had the article written for weeks."

"But that doesn't explain how they got the photo."

"Maybe they broke into my apartment, riffled through the photos on my laptop and illegally copied them to add to their "Torment Logan" file."

"I can't see why they would have taken this photo for the 'Logan file,' there is no way this photo could be used to make you feel inferior."

"Never underestimate a Huntzberger and their ability to make you feel inferior."

"Oh believe me I don't." Rory yawned now that she was over the drama she was exhausted and hungry. "Hey Logan if it's a boy, what do you think of the name Colby?"

For a moment Logan's brain froze they had never spoken about names before. "Isn't that a type of cheese?"

"You like cheese."

"Not for the name of my child." Logan was convinced Rory was so tired she had become delusional. "Why don't you go back to sleep, we can talk more in the morning."

"I can't."

"Ace don't let this get to you." Logan was remembering the words the doctor had said about keeping Rory's stress level low.

"I'm not, I'm just really hungry."

Logan didn't like the sound of that, "When was the last time you ate?"

"I don't know."

"Rory…"

"I know Logan, but nothing looks good. The only thing that stays in my stomach is orange juice and I'm really starting to hate the stuff."

"You need to eat Ace."

"Well you know what Logan; you find something that doesn't make me feel like vomiting." Rory hung up and instantly regretted it, but she didn't feel like calling Logan back. For the moment her hunger pains had subsided and she was ready for sleep.

Rory picked up her cell phone and texted Logan.

_Sorry, I love you_.

Rory smiled when her phone beeped less than a minute after she sent her message.

_It's okay, go to sleep._

Rory woke to the sound of someone knocking on her door; she rolled over and looked at the time it was eight o'clock, time for her to get up anyway.

Rory walked to the door not bothering to cover her pajamas. Rory looked through the peep hole and was surprised to see a delivery man.

Rory opened the door, "Can I help you?"

"Ah yeah, "The man looked down at his palm pilot, "You Rory Gilmore?"

"That's me."

"Sign this." The delivery man, none to politely shoved the electronic pad for her to sign her name. As soon as Rory finished signing the device was snatched from her, the delivery man picked up a box and placed it in Rory's hands.

"Have a nice day." The guy walked away, leaving Rory standing stunned in the doorway.

Rory was snapped out of her stupor by the sound of her phone, Rory ran back into her room sat the box down and answered her phone.

"Hello."

Logan's voice sounded eager, "Have you got it yet?"

"What?"

"My care package?" Logan was sitting in his kitchen drinking coffee.

Rory looked at the large cardboard box she had just received, "You sent this?"

"Yep, open it." Rory could practically see the smirk on Logan's face through the phone line.

"Okay, hang on." Rory placed her phone on loud speaker and proceeded to open her box. "Logan did you have to use so much tape?"

"Well I didn't want the contents to fall out."

After many curses and one broken finger nail, Rory finally defeated the tape and opened the box, "Oh Logan, it's amazing." Rory looked down at the box full of food. There was everything from junk food to fresh fruit.

"And I'm going to keep sending them until you find something you want to eat."

Rory spied an orange bag of chocolate treats, "Ooo, what about Reese, for a girl's name?"

"And her be Daddy's little peanut butter cup? I don't think so, to cutesy."

"Well I have yet to hear you make a suggestion."

"Fine," Logan thought for a moment, "What about Jacob for a boy and Bella for a girl?"

Rory made a scoffing noise and shook her head, "Well those names are no better than mine. You want to name our child after characters in a vampire book. I don't think so."

"Is that where the names are from? All the girls in the office have been going on and on about them for weeks. Pity I really like those names."

"Me too but we can't use them without being accused of being Twihards."

"Twihard? Am I supposed to know what that means?"

* * *

A/N: We are getting close to the end, I'm guessing there are about 8 chapters to go, the final chapter is already written so I know how it's going to end, we just have to get there. Thank you for all your reviews and support.


	19. Chapter 19

Rory stepped off the plane and walked down the carpeted gangway. She wheeled her carry-on and computer bag behind her, her pink Birkin bag was perched on her shoulder.

It had been two months since Rory and Logan had reconciled and eight days since they had last seen each other. In the past two months Logan had been the one coming to Rory, no matter where she was in the country, Logan had found his was to her. Rory had felt bad about the strain this had placed on Logan, he had been working long days to make up for the time he was spending with her.

Rory smiled to herself as she made her way down the escalator, this time she was coming to Logan and not just for a visit but permanently. Rory could just make out her reflection and was happy to see that her softly curled hair still looked good despite the time she had spent in a plane. She was wearing a navy blue summer dress that showed off her creamy skin and hid the baby bump that she had first noticed two days ago.

Despite the fact it had only been two weeks since they had seen each other it felt much longer, she felt like so much had changed and she was nervous about how Logan was going to coup with the changes. She was now jobless and sporting a baby bump, a bump that had not been there when Logan has last seen her. Would Logan still find her attractive now she was starting to show?

As soon as Rory made it through security she started looking for Logan, much to her disappointment she couldn't see him anywhere. Rory couldn't help the flash of fear that ran through her, '_What if Logan didn't come?'_

Rory reluctantly made her way over to the luggage carousel and waited, all the while looking for Logan. Rory was so distracted by her search for Logan that she almost missed the first of her luggage to come out. She elbowed her way in and grabbed the first of her three cases. She placed it on the ground, just out of the way and turned to search for her next bit of luggage when she felt a pair of hands slide around her waist and came to a rest on her stomach. She a pair of lips brushed her ear, "I'm sorry I'm late." Logan's warm breath sent a shivers up her spine.

"Logan!" Rory turned around her suitcase forgotten; she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and buried her face in the crock of his neck.

"I missed you Ace." Rory drew in the scent of Logan with one deep breath before pulling back and looking him in the eye, smiling.

"Me too." Rory lent forward and kissed him. She wasn't sure who was responsible for turning the kiss from PG to NC-17 but she didn't care. It felt so right be back in Logan's arms knowing she didn't to have to let go until she wanted to, there was no announcements telling her Logan's flight was boarding. No buses waiting to take Rory away.

It wasn't until they heard giggling from next to them they reluctantly pulled apart. Rory looked around and found they were being closely watched by several people, one of which was a little girl, who was maybe ten years old, she was the one giggling at them. Rory blushed and looked away, Logan laughed and drew Rory to his side as he bent forward and picked up both of Rory's case as they made another trip past them.

Logan lined the luggage up and somehow managed to maneuver all three cases to the side in one go. Logan drew Rory back into his arms and smiled down at her, "Hi."

Rory smiled back, "Hi."

"I'm sorry I'm late, the traffic was crazy getting in."

"It's okay, you're here that's all that matters."

Logan leant down and rested his forehead against hers. "That's quite a bump you have there Ace."

Rory looked down, blushing, she didn't think it was that obvious in the dress she was wearing.

"It's not that big." Rory bit her lip, feeling self-conscious she cast her eyes down.

Logan smiled; he cupped Rory's cheek in his hand, ran his thumb over her bottom lip and tilted her face back up so he could look her in the eye. "No but it's there." Logan placed a gentile kiss on Rory's lips. As freaked out as he was at the thought of being a dad, he couldn't help but be excited. He always knew he was going to have kids, but they hadn't been a reality until Rory. Before Rory he thought he would just marry when it was time to have children. He never expected to fall in love. "Come on Ace, let's go home."

"Logan, why are we pulling up to an apartment building?" Rory looked up at the concrete apartment block.

"Well I was thinking we could drop your stuff off, you can freshen up and then we can go and look at the house."

Rory turned back to Logan, "Drop my stuff off where?"

Logan concentrated very hard on the road, "My apartment." Logan stopped with the traffic.

"Your apartment?" Rory was confused; Logan said they would be living in the house. "Logan what's going on?"

"Well after you said no the first time I just... I moved into the apartment but I kept the house. It's not furnished or anything yet, I thought we could do that together. I've got a week off and we can go shopping for furniture and stuff." Logan eased the car forward and turned into the underground parking lot of the building.

Rory understood what Logan wasn't saying and it broke her heart, he couldn't bear to be in the house he had thought would be their home. But he had kept the house, he had never let it go, he had never let them go. Rory reached over and gripped Logan's hand "I'd love to go shopping and I want to make a doctor's appointment since you missed the last one."

Logan looked down at their joint hands; he looked at the ring that adorned her finger for a moment. After last May he never thought he would have a future with Rory, but here he was, about to have it all.

Logan pulled into his park and looked up at Rory smiling "I've already booked an appointment for Tuesday, is that ok?" Logan was mindful of the fact that in the past he had assumed a lot about what Rory wanted, he didn't want to do it again but this was the best OB/GYN in the area and there was a waiting list to become his patient.

Rory smiled, "That's fine."

"You're wearing your ring?" Logan made it a question, last time he had seen Rory she was wearing it around her neck because her fingers had started swelling.

"Yeah I've discovered if my feet hurt my fingers swell. So when my feet are pain free I can wear the ring." Rory opened the door and slid out of the car.

Logan smiled, Rory's reluctance to wear his ring originally had him questioning her commitment, but apparently she had worked through her issues about marriage. Logan followed Rory out of the car and made his way to the back of the car where he found Rory unloading the luggage.

"And what do you think you're doing young lady?"

Rory looked up from her bag confused, "I'm getting my stuff out of the car."

Logan shook his head and pried the handle from Rory's hand, "I don't think so."

Rory rolled her eyes, "Logan, I'm pregnant not incapacitated."

Logan lifted the bag out of the car and set it down, "I know you're not incapacitated but you need to take it easy." Logan lifted the next case just managed to suppress a groan, he just found Rory's books. "Now that you are finally home with me, you are going to be living a life of luxury."

"Ooo luxury, please embellish." Rory stood back and watched as Logan proceeded to turn himself into a pack horse, it appeared he planned on taking all the bags in one trip.

"You, my dear Ace will be living it up with home cooked meals, the same bed for more than a couple of nights. No washing. No cleaning…"

"Just me lounging around with a bunch of loin clothed men fanning me with palm fronds, hand feeding me red vines." Rory instantly grew hungry at the mention of red vines; they had been one of the few foods out of the many Logan had sent her that she could eat no matter how sick she felt.

"All except for the loin clothed men, that's exactly the life you are going to lead."

"Aww…" Rory pouted, "I think you would look fantastic in a loin cloth." Rory looked off into the distance, visions of Logan in a loin cloth dancing in her head.

Logan was fully loaded with Rory's bags; he closed the car door and was making his way to the elevator, when he realized Rory was not with him, he looked back at the car to see Rory staring off into the distance, with a glazed look on her face.

"Ace!"

Rory jumped at the sound of Logan calling her name, snapping her out of her Logan in a loin cloth fantasy to look at the real world Logan standing before her.

"Come on Ace," Logan gestured towards the elevator "I am not going to wear a loin cloth so get your butt into the elevator."

Rory walked past Logan, "What if I said I had a major craving for hot buttery, smothered in hot chocolate fudge, Logan in a loin cloth." Rory stood before the elevator doors and pressed the up button, she watched as Logan made his way towards her, struggling with the luggage.

Logan stood by Rory's side. "Ace I am a reasonable man, I am prepared to compromise, the chocolate fudge I will do, but I will not wear a loin cloth."

The elevator binged and the doors opened, Rory and Logan entered the mirror and marble lined box. Logan nodded his head towards the panel with numbers on it, "Number seven."

"Oh so the whole being waited on thing doesn't include pressing buttons. I thought I wasn't meant to be doing any manual labor."

"Pushing the button on the elevator can hardly be considered manual labor."

"You won't even let me carry my hand bag."

Rory looked at the pink Birkin bag that was hanging from Logan's finger.

"Ace you love pushing buttons, if we have to push a button to cross the road you races to push it, who am I to deny you the pleasure of button pushing?"

"It's not my fault, I grew up in a town that only got it's for traffic light last year." Rory pushed the button and tried to conceal the little thrill that ran through her when the button light up, the doors closed and the elevator started its ascent. Ahh, the power of pushing a button.

"Why not?"

Logan looked confused, "Why not what?"

"Why won't you wear a loin cloth?"

"I don't have the legs for skirts." Rory looks down at Logan's trouser encased legs. She genuinely had no idea what Logan's issues was with his legs, they looked just fine to her. Logan saw Rory scrutinizing his legs, "They're too muscular."

"Well I agree you would look terrible in a skirt, but a loin cloth is not a skirt."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a skirt a piece of fabric sown together to form a tubular piece of clothing that is worn around the hips?"

Rory nodded her head, "Yes."

"And is that not the same concept of a loin cloth?"

"Yes."

"So if it is agreed that I do not have the legs for a skirt does it not stand to reason that I cannot pull off a loin cloth?"

"No," Logan groaned, he was sure his logic had been sound. Rory continued to talk despite Logan's groan. "See skirts were invented much later. The loin cloth came first and it was designed with muscular legs in mind."

The elevator stopped and they stepped out, Logan lead the way down the hall, he spoke to Rory over his shoulder. "Really? Like who?"

"Like… Charlton Heston, Brad Pitt and King Tut."

"You think very highly of me don't you?" Logan stopped in front of his door letting go of two of the bags, dug his keys out of his pocket and opened the door.

"What can I say, years of dealing with your inflated ego has elevation my opinion of you. So really it's your own fault that I hold you in such high esteem." Rory stepped into the opened planned apartment, finding an Art Deco theme with curved walls and beveled mirrors. The furniture matched with sleek lines and chrome.

Logan set Rory's luggage down and closed the door, "So I was thinking if you're tired we can stay and rest for a while and visit the house later or even tomorrow."

"I don't know, I am tired but I really want to see the house." Rory made her way to the low black leather couch; she was surprised it was much more comfortable than it had looked. "Hey do you have orange juice?"

"Sure" Logan made his way to the kitchen and poured them both a glass of the sweet orange liquid. "I thought you were getting over juice?"

"I am, but it settles my stomach like nothing else." Rory started rubbing her stomach in soothing circles.

Logan passed Rory her glass of juice and sat next to her.

Logan kept looking at Rory who appeared to be deep in thought, "You're still thinking about me in a loin cloth aren't you?"

"Yep."

Logan placed his now empty glass down, "Do I look good?"

"You're right you do have muscly legs."

Logan felt his heart rate increase as he drove them down the tree-lined streets of Crescent Park, drawing ever closer to the home he had picked out for them. He was almost one hundred percent sure Rory would like the house, but that small amount of uncertainty was making him nervous.

Logan parked out the front of the house, not bothering to use the driveway, giving Rory the best view of their new home.

It took a few moments for Rory to realize Logan had stopped the car; she looked out the car window in awe at what was before her.

Rory turned to Logan, "This is our house?" This was not the kind of home Rory had expected Logan to pick. Logan tended to be drawn to modern buildings with a little character, but this was… quaint.

"Yeah this is it." Logan was relieved he had kept his nervousness out of his voice, Rory face gave nothing away he could not tell if the first impression had been a good one. Rory turned back away to gaze at the house and yard again.

The front yard was beautifully maintained Country style garden, with a lush lawn, and heavily planted garden beds filled with flowers of every color. A large willow tree grew in the front corner of the yard. The house itself was white cladding with large bay windows in the front, with a wraparound porch. It reminded Rory of the type of homes in Stars Hollow.

Rory's silence was killing Logan, "So do you like it?"

Rory tuned back to face Logan, her face beaming with the brightest of smiles and her blue eye's sparkling, "I love it, it's perfect."

Rory lunged towards Logan, pulling him into her arms, kissing him quickly. Logan was surprised with how quickly Rory pulled away from the kiss, she unbuckled her seat belt hoped out of the car, he watched Rory in her dark blue summer dress as she walked up the brick pathway.

Rory paused half way up the path when she realized Logan was not with her, she turned and found him still sitting in the car watching her, Rory smiled at Logan and gestured that he should join her.

Rory turned back to the house once she was sure Logan would be joining her, the house had a large double garage to the right, the path Rory stood on lead up to three steps and onto the porch, just like the one she had at home. Rory frowned, this was her home now, not Stars Hollow, it was a hard concept to grasp.

Logan came up behind Rory as she admired the house; he wrapped his arms around her waist, one hand settling over the slight bump that was their growing child, since he felt it in the airport Logan had had trouble keeping his hand of the bump. He couldn't wait to get Rory naked and really explore her changing body.

"You sure you like it?"

Rory nodded her head and turned in Logan's arms, her face showing nothing but happiness, "But whose going to do the gardening?"

"A gardener comes once a week, its part of the lease agreement."

"That's a relief as the only green thing I seem to be able to grow is mold."

Logan smiled, "Don't worry Ace I factored in our lack of green thumbs when getting this place. Come on let's go inside." Logan smirked and then picked Rory up in his arms causing her to call out his name in surprise.

"Logan! What are you doing?" Rory's hands automatically wound their way around Logan's neck.

Logan started forward, Rory held securely in his arms. "Carrying you over the thresh hold of our home."

Rory smiled down at Logan, "Traditionally you do that after you get married."

Logan had made his way up the stairs and was almost at the front door,

"Well we're not exactly following tradition Ace, so let me have my fun."

"Well since you're having fun, you won't mind if I have fun too." Rory ducked her head down and kissed Logan, she had no intentions of keeping the kiss simple, she caressed his bottom lip between both of hers, she smiled into the kiss when she felt Logan get distracted, she could feel him fumble with getting the keys in the lock.

Somehow Logan kept enough focuse and opened the door; he walked them inside and gently set Rory's feet on the ground without breaking the kiss. Logan cupped Rory's face as the kiss came to its natural end, "Welcome home Ace." Logan steeped away from Rory giving her space to task in their new home.

Rory was instantly flooded with a sense of warmth, from the honey colored hardwood flooring to the butter yellow walls. Rory wandered into the front siting room and found a large open fire place, and a bay window overlooking the front garden.

The house was unfurnished but it didn't feel empty, it almost felt like the house had been waiting for them to move it in and make it a home.

Rory found herself in the kitchen, surrounded by black stone bench tops and stainless steel appliances.

Rory picked up a white box the size of a cd, the box had a red bow tied around it, "Logan you didn't have to get me a present." Rory turned to Logan smiling, reveling the white box to him.

Logan looked at the box puzzled, "I didn't."

"Then who sent this?"

Logan shrugged his shoulders, "There is only one way to find out." Logan plucked the gift box out of Rory's hand and undid the red bow.

Logan lifted the lid and found a hand written note; he recognized his father's neat hand writing immediately. "It's from my parents." Logan picked up the note and read it out loud.

"We thought we could help make your house into a home, consider it an engagement present.  
Love Mom and Dad. "Logan looked at the note and tried to recall the last time his father had written the word _love_. "There is a credit card."

Rory wrapped her arms around Logan from behind as he looked down at the hand written note; it's hard to discover your parents aren't as heartless as you thought they were.

"Wow that's really nice of them."

"Rory we can't accept this."

"Why not?"

"Because every time they get involved my life goes to shit."

"That's not true Logan, those getting involved gave me you and baby Hershey. And you and Hershey are the best things that have ever happened to me. I'm not going anywhere Logan there is nothing they can say or do that will make me go away."

Logan turned in the circle of Rory's arms and embraced her; he touched his forehead to hers. "I love you Ace."

"I know Logan."

Logan pulled back from the hug smiling, "I said no to naming our child after cheese, what made you think I would say yes to chocolate?"

"I'm going to find a name associated with food that you will like."

"I doubt it Ace."

"Avocado!"

"No way." Logan shook his head, the baby names were getting worse.

"No look, the avocado tree." Rory ran to the French door that overlooked the back garden, with the Avocado tree growing in it.


	20. Chapter 20

AN: I know I'm bad at making updates but I have always maintained that I will finish this story and I will. This chapter is a bit of a filler… but I liked it and I hope you do to. There are about three chapters to go and then maybe one or two out takes. Thanks for you patience and I hope to have the next chapter up within a week.

* * *

Rory was sitting in the kitchen of Logan's apartment, working on her laptop while she waited for Logan to return home from work. They had been shopping all week and Rory was going over her lists, double checking they had everything needed for the house. Her phone was sitting next to the laptop when it started ringing, Rory looked at the caller I.D. and smiled when she saw who was calling.

"Hi Mom"

"Hello sweet child of mine, boy do I have news for you." Lorelai said excitedly.

"It must be big to warrant a third phone call in one day."

"Are you implying I'm clingy?"

"I am implying nothing. I am simply stating the facts."

"Do you want to hear the news or not?"

Rory was sure her mother was going to tell her something random like that Kirk had taken up the extreme sport Parkour. "Not really."

"I'm hurt this is the biggest news I have ever shared in my life and my own daughter does not want to hear it."

"Mom shouldn't you be at Grandma and Grandpa's and not the phone talking to me?" Earlier that day Rory had spent the better part of an hour convincing Lorelai there was no excuse that would get her out of Friday night dinner at the Gilmores, judging by the time that was exactly where her mother should have been.

"I am." Lorelai said.

"Has Grandma changed her no speaking on cell phones in the house rule?" Rory clicked save on her laptop and closed it, giving her mother her full attention.

"No," Lorelai said, "She still hates cell phones in the house."

"So how are you calling me without being yelled at?"

"Because I'm not actually_ in_ the house yet." Lorelai sounded very self-satisfied with loophole in her mother's rule. She was currently sitting the driver's seat of the Jeep in the driveway of her parent's house.

"Mom, are you using me as a delay tactic?" Rory made her way to the fridge, she opened the door, her eyes roamed the contents of the fridge desperately looking for something other than orange juice to wet her appetite but she could swear she could hear the sweet orange liquid calling her name.

Some people call them pregnancy cravings, Rory had found them to pregnancy obsessions, regardless of where she was or what she was doing all Rory could think about was orange juice. Logan had joked she was going to turn orange soon, Logan hadn't found the joke so funny when a craving hit at four o'clock that morning and there was no juice left in the apartment.

Lorelai checked her hair out in the rearview mirror and fluffed her curls, "No I'm being efficient, I'm nine minutes early and I couldn't think of a better way to spend nine minutes than to talk to my daughter who was conceived in less than that time."

Rory ignored the comment on her conception, "You know Grandma is still going to yell at you."

"I can't see how I'm not _in_ the house yet. There is no talking on a cell phone rule for the driveway, besides, if I'm really lucky you'll distract me thus eating into my Friday night dinner time."

Rory had given into her craving and grabbed the orange juice out of the fridge, "So I am a distraction?"

Lorelai looked at her watch, "Not for another eight minutes."

"Okay then you have eight minutes to summarize the biggest news you have ever had to share in your life and then I am hanging up." Rory looked at the clock on the microwave while pouring herself a large glass of her O.J.

"Well after I spoke and you said you were missing Luke's coffee, I decided to go visit Luke."

"I bet he gave you more than coffee." Rory voice dripped with innuendo. Rory took a sip or her drink and couldn't help let out a moan of satisfaction.

Lorelai heard the moan, "Rory are you having sex?"

Rory almost choked before she managed to swallow the remainder of the liquid in her mouth, "What! No."

"Then what's with the moaning?"

"I'm having a drink of orange juice."

"Ah, your orange to my apple. Am I okay to continue with my story or do you need a minute alone with O.J?"

"No Mom I'm fine, continue with your story, no more moaning I promise."

"Good, so I'm sitting in the dinner talking to Luke when Brian comes running in the front door, he was all excited and was looking for Zack but Zack was out making a delivery."

Rory could sense Lorelai was building herself up for a long winded story, "I thought you said you only had eight minutes."

Lorelai continued as if Rory had not spoken, "Brian was as high as the Toxic Twins after a national tour, so I asked him what's up. He said he was close to closing the biggest deal of his real estate career."

"Well that's good for him."

"He was so excited just like a puppy in a shoe store that he just had to tell me all about it. He said for the first time he had been left alone to man the phones in the office. So there he was sitting all alone in the office chewing his pen..."

"I bet he did not tell you he was chewing a pen."

Lorelai laughed, "No, but the blue ink all over his mouth and face gave it away."

"Did you tell him he was covered in ink?" Rory looked at the clock her mother had six minutes before she hung up.

"Where would the fun in that be?"

"You cruel, cruel, woman."

"So he's sitting there chewing his pen when suddenly the phone rings, Brian said he picked up the phone and answered in his most professional voice, _'Century 21 Real Estate this is Brian._" The last part was said with Lorelai giving the worst Brian impersonation Rory had ever heard.

"Brian does not talk like that."

"He does too, Luke loved my Brian impression. Anyway the voice on the other end of the phone said, 'Hello this is Mister _Wonka_.' Personally I think this is the point where Brian covered his face in blue ink."

"No way, is his first name Willy." Rory sounded incredulous, this was the reaction Lorelai had been hoping for.

"I have no idea but if it is I'm having his baby."

Rory now found herself interested in her Mom's story, "I wonder what property he wanted? I'm not aware of any abandon chocolate factories around Stars Hollow inhabited by small orange men."

"Guess." This was the best part of the story Lorelai wanted to drag it out a little.

"The Luxor Temple," Rory jokingly guessed.

"Is that the one with the stone rams out the front?"

"No that's Karnak, Luxor has the sphinxes with the human heads."

Lorelai frowned and concentration, "Huh, are you sure?"

"Yes."

"I'll take your word for it my little Zahi Hawass and as close as that guess was you are not right."

"I'm shocked, so what property is he selling?"

"The Inn."

"The in what?"

"No not in, _inn._ As in your inn, our inn, The Independence Inn."

Rory slumped in her chair, "Wow."

"I know."

"I mean we always knew it was going to sell one day but I kind of had this fantasy that you would buy it one day."

The excitement left Lorelai's voice, "You and me both kid."

"On the plus side it means it will be a working inn again." Rory was desperately looking for the positive in though it was becoming apparent that the Independents Inn was truly going to be out of her and her mother's reach.

"Yeah I guess that's a plus."

"Lorelai Gilmore, what are you doing sitting in your car, it's after seven."

Lorelai jumped at the sound or her mother's voice coming from just outside of the car window, "Opps."

Rory had heard her grandmothers voice clearly, "You are so busted by Grandma." Rory looked at the clock on the wall and could see that Lorelai had used up her nine minutes and had eaten into Friday night dinner time. It was now two minutes past the hour.

Lorelai smiled and looked at her mom, "Hi Mom, I was just on my way in when Rory called me."

"Hey! You called me."

Lorelai whispered into her phone, "Work with me here kid."

"Oh you're talking to Rory? Can I talk to her?" Emily reached into the car's open window and snatched the phone out of Lorelai's hand.

"Sure mom, here's the phone," Lorelai muttered under her breath.

Emily started walking towards the inside of the house, "Hello Rory, this is you Grandmother."

"Hello Grandma."

Emily turned and looked at Lorelai, "Are you coming into the house Lorelai, or are you going to sit out here all night like some policeman on a stakeout in a bad television show?"

Lorelai sighed and reluctantly got out of her car and followed her mother into the house.

Emily made her way into the sitting room and sat down on the couch. "So Rory you and Logan must be very close to moving into the new house?"

"We are the furniture trucks are coming Monday." Curtsy of the Huntzberger's Rory and Logan had purchased everything they needed to fully furnish the house and Rory had arranged for all the delivery's to come on the following Monday.

"What time?" Lorelai who had followed her mother into the sitting room was helping herself to a martini, looked up from where she was pouring her drink and could see the gleam in her mother's eye, she knew her mother was up to something.

Rory who was oblivious to an ulterior motive answered her grandmother, "First one is due at seven thirty in the morning."

"And what time does Logan leave for work?"

Rory was suspicious of why her grandmother wanted specific details but how much trouble could Emily do from the other side of the country? "Twenty to seven, why?"

"Wonderful, I will be around to the house at seven." Lorelai almost choked on her drink at her mother's comment.

"What? Grandma you don't have to do that."

"Nonsense Rory, it will be my pleasure. You have never had to set up a home before you have no idea how taxing it can be. Besides I know you and Logan are on a budget, I'm sure you have forgotten to buy something so I can take you shopping."

"Really Grandma we have everything, Logan's parent's helped pay for the furniture as an engagement gift."

"They did what?" Emily was clearly outraged by the Huntzberger's involvement.

Rory cringed as her grandmother voice went up several octaves. "I know I was just as surprised as you are. But they seem to be trying to be nice, I'm not sure how long it will last, but hey I got a house full of furniture out of it so I'm not complaining."

"Rory, dear, would you mind holding for a moment?"

"Sure Grandma."

Rory could hear a clunk when her Grandmother put the phone down on a table. "Richard! I told you we were too late." Emily shouted in direction of Richard's office.

Rory was forced to move the phone away from her ear at the sound of her grandmothers yelling. Apparently Emily had no concept of how good cell phone were at picking up sound, Rory was sure Emily did not intend on her hearing that.

Richard emerged from his office moments later, "Too late for what Emily. Ahh hello Lorelai I didn't hear you come in."

"Hi Dad," Lorelai had been sitting on the other end of the couch listening to her mother.

Emily looked at Lorelai for the first time since she had entered the house, it was almost like she had forgotten her daughter was there. "Lorelai how could you not tell us?"

"Not my news to tell Mom."

Richard was helping himself to a martini, "What didn't Lorelai tell us?"

"That the Huntzberger's have already bought Rory and Logan all their furniture. This is entirely your fault I told to you we should have done something sooner."

Rory could hear her Grandfathers reply. "Well how was I supposed to know that Emily? I am not privy to the inner workings of the Huntzberger's."

"Because you know how manipulative they are and now they are trying to worm they're way into Rory's life and take our place."

Rory could hear the genuine distress in her grandmother's voice, how was she supposed to refuse Emily's offer to fly all the way out to California without hurting her feelings further?

Richard's ever calm voice carried down the phone line, "Emily you're being paranoid, no one is taking our place in Rory's life, we are her grandparents and she loves us. Besides I was planning on us buying her a new car. She doesn't have a car in California and the one she has here is not suitable for a family."

Emily's face light up and Rory could hear it in her voice, "Ohh that's good Richard, a car is just as good as furniture."

"Some might say more important," Richard said.

"What type of car were you thinking of Richard?"

"Well come into the office Emily I was just looking at a luxury SUV that I think is perfect."

"An SUV Richard, is that really practical?" Emily followed Richard out of the lounge room without even glancing at Lorelai.

Lorelai made her way over to her cell phone had been left on the side table, her father's voice could still be clearly heard, "We'll they are a very safe car to drive and just in case an earth quake does occur…"

Lorelai picked up the phone, "You still there Rory?"

"Yes Mom I'm here. I don't suppose there is any chance you can talk them out of buying me a car?"

"Not a hope in hell. Hey can you still hear them?"

Lorelai held her phone up and Rory could just hear her grandfather's voice, "Don't forget Emily they are a young couple and four wheel drives are more hip than a traditional family car."

Lorelai brought the phone back to her ear, "Did you hear that?"

"Yes, apparently four wheel drives are hip."

"Lorelai!" For the second time Lorelai found herself jumping at the sound of her mother calling her name.

"Gees Mother there is no need to yell, I'm right here."

"Lorelai I have told you hundreds of time talking on cell phones in the house."

"But…"

"Now get off the phone and come into the office and look at cars with your father and I, this is our family night after all and we should do things as a family." Emily marched back into the office.

"Grandma's forgotten I'm on the phone hasn't she?"

"I'm afraid so. I'd better go before I get yelled at again."

"Okay, bye Mom, love you."

"Love you too." Lorelai ended the call with Rory and made her way into her father's office with her drink in hand.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N First to all my loyal readers thank you so much for your patience, I thought I had this chapter all worked out and then I realised it just wasn't working. The down side was there was a big delay in getting this chapter to you, on the up side this story will now be a least one chapter longer than planned plus an outtake.

To my new readers and there have been a lot of you in the last few months welcome and enjoy.

* * *

Logan had been so engrossed in his meeting he almost missed the sound of knocking at the boardroom door. Logan hoped the clients hadn't noticed, he wanted nothing to go wrong with this meeting, if he could get these guy's to sign up others would follow and then the business would truly be on its way to revolutionizing the way businesses networked. Logan had all but made up his mind to ignore the knocking when the door opened and Ivy, the receptionist, walked in.

Ivy stood politely in the open door way, her short cropped red and hair gothic clothing more groomed than it would be on a normal day, "I'm sorry to disturbed you gentlemen but Logan, Rory is on the phone and she says it is an emergency."

Ivy's eye's widened when she saw Logan get out of his chair faster than she thought was possible, she stepped out of the way just in time for Logan to pass her and run down the hallway to his office.

The software company Logan was a partner in, held its offices in a building that catered to small businesses. Logan had been thrilled when he had found this space to lease, as it not only gave them the room to grow that they so desperately needed but it also gave them access to major facilities such as a boardrooms and reception areas. It made the company look bigger than it actually was without all the overheads or the need to rent rooms just for a day.

As Logan rounded the corner and entered his office he felt his hart thundering in his chest, it was as if he had ran a mile instead of a few yards, all he could think of was that Rory was almost seven months pregnant and she said there was an emergency. Logan took a deep breath and picked up the phone, "Rory what's wrong?"

"Two words," Rory sounded very distressed like she had been crying.

"What?" Logan was pacing his office trying to burn off his nervous energy. "Rory this is not time for a guessing games, what's wrong?"

"I told you I need to know two words." The desperation was clear in Rory's voice. "I know, I know them but I can't think of them. I need your help."

"So there is nothing wrong with the baby?" Logan paused in his pacing, his heart rate started to come down.

"No."

Logan was trying to get his head around the situation. "And you're fine?"

"No I'm not fine." Anger seeped into Rory's voice. "I need to know what the heck the two words are I'm trying to think of so I can finish this stupid article." Rory voice was getting louder as she carried on.

Logan barely kept the humor out of his voice, "So just to clarify, you and the baby are fine and you rang so I could be your dictionary?"

"No! I called you for help but if you're only going to make fun of me I'm going to hang up."

Logan winced he had not been as successful as he thought in keeping the humor out of his voice. "No, Ace, don't hang up. I'll help. Tell me about the words." Logan sat down on the edge of his desk, he knew this shouldn't be as important as the meeting he had just left but he couldn't bring himself to tell Rory that. He had notice a drop in Rory's vocabulary of late, she seemed to hesitate before saying some words and was describing things instead of just saying their name and for someone with a vocabulary as large as Rory's she was finding it incredibly frustrating. Scientists can say what they want but baby brain is real and Rory had it.

"Okay first word, it's the fancy word for money."

"Ahhh moolah?"

Rory laughed, "Moolah? You Logan Huntzberger, the heir of Huntzberger Publishing when thinking of a fancy word for money comes up with Moolah? Is Moolah even a real word?"

"Of cause it is," Logan said.

"Somehow I don't believe you."

"Well since you called me for help in working out what words you wanted, I think you will just have to take my word for it. And since you don't like moolah, I have other words, dosh, cash, loot, dough."

"No Logan, I mean a grown up word."

Logan thought for a moment, "I don't know... fiscal?"

"Yes! Fiscal that's the word. You're a good man Huntzberger." Rory had real joy in her voice.

"I do my best Ace, so what about the allusive second word?"

"Okay, umm it's kind of like a stimulant but a pill."

Logan guessed, "Ecstasy?'

"No, it's… Oh you know. Men having a midlife crisis, who have bought their first convertible and are sleeping with women half their age, are taking them." Logan had absolutely no idea what Rory was talking about.

"Ooo ooo, it's blue."

Logan laughed, "Viagra?"

"Yes! Yay," Logan could hear Rory clapping her hands, "I have my words."

Rory had perked Logan's interest, "Ace what kind of article are you writing where you need the words Viagra and fiscal."

"No, not Viagra fiscal, fiscal Viagra. I'm writing an article about the economic impact the collapse of the subprime market has had on small businesses and the government's proposals are essentially fiscal Viagra to try and stimulate the economy."

"So all is right in the world now that you can finish your article?"

"Yes as soon as the article is finished I'm going shopping for holiday decorations."

"Okay Ace, have fun."

"I will." Logan was just about to hang up the phone when he heard Rory's voice again. "Hey Logan, how did the meeting go."

"Don't know yet the meeting isn't over."

"Oh no," Rory almost sounded like she was about to cry, "Did I disrupt it?"

Logan, having heard how distressed Rory decided upon a little white lie to calm her down. "Not at all Ace, they are running late."

"Okay, good luck for when they get there."

"Thanks Ace, I'll see you tonight."

Logan ended the call and made his way back into the boardroom, he was happy to see Ivy had keep the clients happy plying them with coffee and pastries. "Please accept my apologies gentlemen."

"Ivy explained the situation. You have nothing to apologies for. Is everything okay?" The older of the two clients asked.

"Yeah, it was a false alarm." Logan scratched the back of his neck and couldn't keep the smirk of his face.

"Is it your first child?" The younger guy asked before he took another sip of coffee.

Logan nodded, "It is."

The younger guy smiled back, "I was a nervous wreck when my wife was pregnant with our first child."

* * *

Logan pulled up to the house, he was glad to be home, the business meeting that he thought had gone down the toilet with Rory's untimely call was in fact a screaming success and he couldn't wait to share the news with Rory.

When Logan got back to the meeting they had spent forty five minutes talking about Logan's pending fatherhood and then they had signed on the dotted line. Logan was on cloud nine, this was the start of something big.

Logan made his way in from the garage and into the kitchen, he set his briefcase on the black marble kitchen bench and loosened his tie. "Hey Ace, I'm home."

Logan paused and waited for a reply. "Ace?"

He knew she was home, her car the white Jeep Cherokee that Richard and Emily Gilmore had bought her was in the garage. Expectantly the car came with every bell and whistle that Roy would never need or use, including the unfortunate personalized number plates G1LBURG. Logan had offered to have the car re registered but Rory had refused the offer stating her grandparents would be crushed if they thought she didn't like the car.

Logan pushed up the sleeves of his shirt and made his way into the den. He wasn't concerned with Rory's lack of response, she was most likely asleep up stairs. Logan poured himself a scotch from the wet bar and stood sipping the amber liquid for a few quiet moments. After Logan had finished one drink and poured himself another and decided it was time to find Rory.

A loud thump sounded through the house, followed by a whispered "Shoot." Logan knew that voice, it was Rory, she was obviously awake and by the sound of it in the front sitting room maybe even hiding from him.

"Ace..." Logan waited. "I know your home." Logan approached the sliding door that lead to the sitting room, he was sure that was where her voice had come from, before he made it to the door, it slid open and Rory stepped out, quickly closing the door behind her.

"Hi Logan, I didn't hear you come in."

"That's understandable considering I made such a stealthy entry." Logan replied sarcastically, he then placed both of his hands on Rory's now protruding belly, and kissed her on the lips, it was meant to be a hello kiss but quickly turned into more when Rory reached her hands up and caressed the hair at the nape of Logan's neck.

Logan recognized the kiss, it was the one where she was trying to distract him, or was hiding something from him, or had done something she didn't want him to know about.

Logan pulled back from the kiss, "Ace what's in the sitting room?"

"Well there is a lounge suite, a hall table, coffee table, the lamp your mother gave us that I really don't like..."

"Okay let me rephrase, what's new in the room that you don't want me to see?"

"Well that's a completely different question. You know you should really work on your question asking abilities. I'd be more than happy to practice that with you now."

Logan smiled at Rory, "I'm not going to get distracted Ace, what's in the room?"

"Okay..." Rory took a moment to collect her thoughts. "You know how I was complaining we didn't have any Holiday decorations and you said I should go shopping, and then I said it would be weird living in a house that didn't light up at Christmas, and then you said I should buy some lights as well, in fact you said I should knock myself out, and buy as much as I want. By the way I knocked myself out once and it was not fun at all and shopping for me is fun, so it was odd you picked that phrase."

Logan smirked at Rory, she was being evasive. "Ace, is there a point coming any time soon?"

"If you would stop interrupting me I would be able to make my point."

Logan stood there, looking at Rory, waiting for her to make her point. "Rory, what is your point?"

"I went Christmas decoration shopping."

Logan failed to see what had caused all of Rory's rambling. "And..."

"And... I got a little carried away."

"How carried away?"

"I can take stuff back, really I'm sure I bought stuff we don't need..."

Logan tuned out from what Rory was saying, he was eager to see what she had brought. He reached his arm up above Rory's head and slid one of the doors open.

He was amazed at the sight before him, in each of the four corners of the room were boxes piled high, two of the piles were as wide as he was tall, and towered above his head. He had no idea how Rory had bought all of this in one afternoon let alone gotten it into the house.

Rory steeped away from the doorway allowing Logan to enter the room, she bit her lip nervously, worried Logan would be angry with her over spending.

Logan approached the biggest pile and peeked into one of the open boxes, he had no idea what he was looking at, it was a white metal frame that had lights attached to it. Logan pulled the box away from the pile so he could see the other side, the box was graced with a picture of a reindeer, and according to the writing on the box it was animated.

Logan looked at more of the boxes and found everything from, garden lights to a Christmas tree skirt, tinsel, boxes of decorations and trimmings for the porch, banister and fire place.

Rory watched keenly as Logan inspected random boxes from all of the piles. She didn't know what had gotten into her, she had never lost control while shopping like that before. She was sure Logan would take the black card off her, he had said she could use it any time as long as she promised to be responsible, Rory looked around at all of the boxes and knew she had not been responsible.

"Honest Logan, I didn't mean to spend so much, I just had this insane idea that our first Christmas together as a family had to be perfect and all this stuff would make it perfect. I've watched enough Holiday movies to know it's your family and loved ones that make the Holidays special, but..."

"Ace, stop explaining." Rory cringed at home emotionless Logan's voice sounded. "Did you know we never had any lights on our lawn when I was growing up? I always wanted them, but my parents never did it."

"The first year my Mom and I moved into the crap shack, we went light shopping, we got so carried away we had to actually cook for three weeks just so Mom could pay the mortgage that month."

Logan turned and really looked at Rory for the first time, "God she looked beautiful," he thought to himself.

Rory was wearing a burgundy colored bell sleeved knit dress, the dress clung tightly to her curves and her very noticeable baby bump. She was in knee high tan leather boots and black stockings. Her hair was out and curled, she was keeping it out of her face with a headband that matched the dress. Logan finally paid attention to her face and could see how worried she was by his reaction. It was true Rory had never spent up like that before but it also showed he had been seriously remiss in explain the family budget to her.

"Rory I have one question for you," Logan made his way over to Rory, he kept his voice as emotionless as possible. "How were you planning on all of this being installed?" Logan stopped in front of Rory, her head dropped so she couldn't have to look him in the eye.

"Well I figured since Colin and Finn would be spending Thanksgiving with us they could help you put it all up."

"And what makes you think three white collar guys would be capable of setting all of this up?"

"The fact that I have watched the three of you set up every Xbox, 360, Play Station, Hi-Fi, flat screen system you guys have bought since I've know you."

Logan gestured to the boxes around them, "And all of this would make you happy?"

Rory nodded her head meekly, and peeked up at Logan.

"I guess it's lucky then that we have the boys here for four days, because with all of this stuff it's going to take that long."

"I can keep it all." Rory tried to keep the joy out of her voice.

"Yeah Ace, you can keep it all." Logan watched Rory's face as it light up with the realization she would get to keep everything. She launched herself into Logan's arms, kissing him deeply.

Rory pulled back from the kiss just as suddenly as it started her face alight with excitement. "I'm ordering Chinese to celebrate."

"Ace."

Rory was already halfway out of the room looking for her cell phone, she turned around, "Yeah?"

"After dinner I'm taking you over our finances. I don't want you freaking out on me like this again okay."

"But Logan the trust fund is yours, I don't want to know about it."

Logan walked over to Rory, it never ceased to amaze him that a Gilmore could be so nervous talking about money. "Yes it is mine, but while we are together the income I get from it is ours."

Logan kissed Rory on the lips, "You order the food while I change."

Rory drew Logan in for a hug, her head resting in the crook of his neck, "Okay."

Suddenly Rory looked up, "Oh my god Logan I can't believe I haven't even asked you how did the meeting go?"

"It went really well, they signed the contract with only one amendment."

"What did they amend?"

"Instead of it being a one year contract they insisted on it being a two years."

"Logan, that's amazing. I'm going to order Chinese and pizza to make this a real celebration."

"Tell you what Ace, you order the food and I'll go pick up some ice cream so we can make tonight a real celebration."

* * *

Logan carried the last of the empty boxes into the garage on his way back to the front lawn he stopped and marveled at the domestic seen in front of him.

Colin and Finn were putting up the last of the decorations, Finn was working on the lights that went along the eaves of the house and Colin was making sure everything was plugged in and working.

The boys had flown in two days ago, with the day before having been Thanksgiving. The house had never been so full of life before and it only solidified that this house was home. Logan had really missed Colin and Finn, with them he felt no need to pretend to be any one other than who he was his friendship with them whilst slightly juvenile was incredibly freeing.

"Mate, I'm knackered." Finn stepped down from his ladder for the final time, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and stretched his back. "And I hurt in six different places."

"Finn if you had just stopped falling off the roof you would have been fine." Colin joined Finn and stood back admiring all their hard work.

"If it wasn't for me falling of the roof then the guttering wouldn't have those artful loops coming off it."

"Well you get to explain to Rory why the lights don't match the instructions she gave us." Logan joined his two best friends. In one day they had managed to put up all the outdoor decorations while Rory had worked on the inside. Logan started to make his way inside, the others followed.

"Speaking of the lady of the house, where is she?" Colin said while looking around the house, "We haven't heard her dulcet tones screeching at us for at least an hour."

"I'm sorry about that guy's. The pregnancy is just making Rory a little irrational at times."

"Rory is not irrational, she psychotic." Colin sat down in the leather lounge in the den and eagerly awaiting the promised alcoholic drink.

"Shhh, keep your voice down." Logan handed out the drinks, "You don't want her to hear you."

"Mate the devil is all knowing." Finn said he was sprawled out on the other end of the couch, he had already finished his first drink and he was motioning for another.

"That's God Finn." Colin joined Finn in motioning for a new drink.

"But God is meant to be loving." Finn replied, "And Rory at the moment is anything but God like."

"She wasn't always like this was she?" Colin seemed to be pondering as he drank his recently toped up drink.

"Guy's enough. She is not that bad... all the time." Logan paused thinking of Rory's last set of instructions she shouted at them hysterically.

Both Colin and Finn gave Logan a look of disbelief. "Fine she's crazy as a June bug, but just you wait until the woman you love is pregnant then we will see who is laughing."

"How can you say such a truly horrid things?" Colin said with a look horror on his face, he was on step-mom number seven and had no intentions of ever putting himself or any potential children through that.

Logan watched as both as his friends looked at him in disbelief, "Don't look at me like that it will happen... to both of you."

"I know my time will come," Finn sounded wistful. "One day Rosemary will give in."

"Finn why haven't you given up on Rose yet?" Logan had watched Finn pine over Rosemary since freshman year. He had never been able to work out how serious Finn was about his feelings were for Rose.

"Because she is my one true love."

"Who has yet to agree on a date with you," Colin pointed out.

"That's why I'm working on a plan."

"Tell, tell." Colin awaited to hear his friends latest crazy girl winning plan.

"Well I was reading that weddings are a wonderful place to meet single woman."

"Yes they are," Logan though back to the many weddings he had been to and the many dates that had resulted in his attendance. With a shock Logan realized it was at Richard and Emily Gilmore's vowel renewal that he had first kissed Rory and surly vowel renewals were in the same category as wedding.


	22. Chapter 22

AN: Merry Christmas everyone! I have an early present for you, the penultimate chapter for 'Of Strings and Cables,' (thank you Finn for adding a new word to my vocabulary.) That's right there is just one chapter of the actual story to go and then one out take. I hope you have enjoyed the journey as much as I have, I know it has been a long journey for some of you but I hope everyone thinks it was worth the wait.

* * *

The taxi drove through the streets much faster than the legal speed limit, the Christmas lights that shone in people's gardens and shop windows were passing in a blur. Christmas was only ten days away and Rory felt ill repaired. Since Colin and Finn had left just after Thanksgiving she had been busy writing and researching articles. She had also been busy organizing tonight's function for Logan's work, a function she was now almost three hours late for.

Rory had planned to be on time but earlier the research she was doing for a story had paid off and she was able to track down an informant who not only gave an exclusive interview but also provided the written proof Rory had been looking for. After the meeting with the informant Rory had spent the better part of the afternoon and evening working on her article that was set to be the front page of the Palo Alto Daily News tomorrow.

Rory felt her heart flutter in excitement, she had been working freelance since she had arrived in Palo Alto and had consistently been selling stories to both online and print media. The Daily News had been the first local paper to pick up one of her articles and she found herself doing business with them regularly. When she gave them the first shot at buying her article they had not only jumped at the chance but also paid double her normal fee.

Her first front page, Rory resisted the urge to scream in joy not wanting to distract the taxi driver who seemed to be driving even faster than before, instead she smiled and settled her hands over her belly a habit that had formed over the last few weeks.

The taxi pulled up in front of the building where the function was being held, Rory paid for the taxi and steeped out, smoothing the midnight blue, tea length dress over her stomach, hoping she looked okay as she hadn't even paused to look in a mirror before leaving the house.

Rory entered the cocktail bar through a set of double glass French doors. Inside the room with its exposed bricks, blood red curtains and crystal chandeliers was packed despite the lateness of her arrival. She was relieved to see the team she hired to do the decorating had done their job well. Rory had picked this bar because the dominant color inside was red which was one of the two colors on the logo of Logan's company. Rory introduced the other color, purple, into the scheme by arranging table cloths, napkins, fabric sashes for the bar and windowsills to be in purple.

Rory's eyes swept the room, she spotted Logan almost immediately. He was standing near the bar talking to two business men. Logan was dressed in a blue suit, one that Rory had seen on him many time before, she couldn't help but notice how happy he looked. Despite what had happened in the past Logan was a business man, just like his father. He lived for wheeling and dealing, he was in his element tonight and everyone around him could tell. His presents commanded the room without him even trying.

Since the deal several weeks ago the client base of the business had increased by a third and tonight was an opportunity to thank all of the new clients and to try and entice new ones. Tonight's function was Logan's idea, he really wanted to keep up the momentum they had gained. Logan didn't like to admit it but the recent success of the business was largely because of him. Where the other partners in the business were brilliant with the technical side of the things, they lacked the know how when it came to wooing clients. Logan was an expert in woo.

Logan saw Rory as she approached and excused himself from the people he had been speaking to.

"Logan, I'm so sorry I'm late."

Logan embraced Rory, kissing her on the lips before pulling away, "Ace as long as you promise to always look this good when running late I'll forgive you." Logan looked down apprehensively, he loved the way the fabric clung to Rory's curves, the vee neck showing off her fuller breasts.

Rory looked down, "You like the dress?"

He nodded, "Very much so." Logan slid one hand around her waist, the other cupped her face, kissing her, deeper this time, his lips caressed her bottom lip.

Rory opened her eyes when she sensed movement near them, she watched a waiter walking by with a tray of food.

Rory broke the kiss and caught the waiter's attention, "Hey come back here."

Logan smiled at Rory as the waiter doubled back, Rory took a napkin and the last four canapés off the tray. "I'm really hungry so do you think you could keep the food coming my way."

The waiter smiled, "Sure thing ma'am."

Logan watched Rory as she ate each treat in one bite, he wasn't entirely sure she chewed them, "So you're hungry?"

"Yeah I haven't eaten since lunch and these are really good." Rory hummed with please as the last canapé entered her mouth. "Hey what do you think of Canapé for a girl's name?"

"I think it's terrible and you need to give up on finding a food related name for the baby." Logan could not keep the pleading from his voice. Rory was determined to name their child after food, they couldn't go out to a restaurant or to a supermarket without Rory suggesting some ridiculous name.

"I'm not giving up, I'll find something you like."

"I doubt it Ace, so do I get to hear why you are late, or is it to remain a mystery?"

"Well it is good to be a little mysterious… but I don't think I can keep this to myself. So I got a phone call today in regards to the corruption story I've been doing." Logan nodded, Rory had been working on this story for over a month. "So this person said it was today or never, so I agreed to meet with them." Logan tried to keep the frown off his face, he was not keen on the thought of his almost eight month pregnant fiancé, meeting up with a possibly dangerous unknown person.

"Ohh baby let me tell you I got some good stuff. I got enough to prove everything, so I finished my article and meet up with the editor of The Daily News…. and guess what?"

"What?"

"I think I just earned my first front page."

"Oh my god Ace that's fantastic!" Logan hugged her again.

"Hey don't get too excited yet. I mean who knows between now and print time something more news worthy may happen."

Logan looked at Rory like she was being silly, "And what do you honestly think is going to top government corruption."

Rory didn't even pause to think of her answer, "The messiah."

"The messiah?"

Rory nodded, "You know according to most religions we are overdue for the next messiah. And I noticed there was a star looking particularly bright in the east tonight."

"Come on Ace that was probably just a satellite or a plane. I'm going to get you a drink to celebrate." Logan dashed off to the bar, leaving Rory standing by herself.

Rory looked around the room and suddenly wished she could pull a Doctor Kemp, Shira Huntzberger was coming her way, and it was obvious to Rory that Shira had spotted her otherwise she would have tried to hide.

"Rory how wonderful to see you again." Shira leant in and gave Rory a fake kiss on the cheek, Rory felt a little nauseas after being so close to Shira, she couldn't decide if it was because of the flowery perfume Shira was wearing, or a normal symptom of the inferiority complex the Huntzberger's gave her.

"Shira, I didn't know you were here."

"Well when we heard Logan was having his little party we just had to come and support him." Rory tried not to flinch at the sound of 'we,' it meant Mitchum was here as well. "I couldn't help but notice that _you_ were _late_."

Rory smiled at the sound of Shira's condescending tone. "I know I feel so bad, but something with work came up."

"Ahh what a shame, you were missed you know." Shira said in a sing song voice.

"Rory here is your drink," Logan handed Rory a glass of orange juice, "And I snagged a whole tray of canapés for you." Logan presented the tray of food with a flourish.

Rory clapped her hands together, "Oh I love a man who brings me canapés."

"It must be true love. I wouldn't do this for just any girl." Logan looked around and saw who Rory was talking to. "Mom, I hope you're not to board."

"Oh no, Rory and I were just discussing how she was late because she was _working_."

"It's okay Mom, I'm not worried about Rory's tardiness…" Logan was about to say something else but he was cut off by the arrival of his father.

"Rory! So glade you made it." Mitchum spoke like this was his party instead of Logan's, he lent in and did the false kiss on the side of the check. "You're looking well."

"Thank you Mitchum, I'm feeling good."

"I was just about to tell Mom that Rory just got her first front page," Logan said proudly.

Rory blushed, "Logan I told you it hasn't been printed yet."

Mitchum looked at his watch. "Please Rory no false modesty, the paper must be due to start printing any moment now." Mitchum smiled as if he had always had faith in her writing ability.

"Excuse me Logan, darling, I just have to say good bye." A woman in her late fifties broke into the group. She was well groomed with her dyed red hair styled in a French twist, her slim figure was squeezed into a little black dress that woman half her age would be sacred to wear.

"Tina before you go I would like to introduce you to my fiancé. Rory Gilmore."

"Rory this is Tina Johnston, she's been a family friend for years."

"Stop, Logan, you'll make me seem old. It's a pleasure to meet you Rory, Shira and Logan have told me all about you."

"Only good things I hope?"

"Of cause darling, I'm sorry I can't stay and talk but I really need to get going, but before I go Logan you just have to tell me who did the catering tonight? The food is just fantastic."

"I don't know, I just signed the check but Rory will since she organized this."

"I have one of his card's here." Rory reached into her clutch and pulled one out, "Steven is new to California but he used to work with a chef friend of mine back in Connecticut." Steven the chief had once worked at the Independents Inn and Sookie had recommended him for this job.

Rory handed the card over and Tina said her goodbyes, all the while Rory noticed Shira was looking at her funny.

"Rory, I thought Logan said you were writing fulltime?"

Rory nodded.

"How on earth did you ever find the time to organize all of this," Shira gestured around the still packed room.

"Well I'm fortunate my hours have a degree of flex ability so I was able to write around organizing this."

Shira smiled at Rory, "Well isn't that nice."

* * *

Rory and Logan had just found their way to bed. It was well past three in the morning. Rory was awake, just looking at the ceiling. Rory broke the silence.

"Ahhh! I can't believe your parents. And your mother! I never knew the word 'working' could be made to sound so dirty."

"Calm down Ace." Logan was half asleep.

"And the way your dad made out as if he always knew I was going to make it as a writer."

"Ace just go to sleep. I will happily join you in the morning and reenact all the highlights with you from this evening. Including the look on my mother's face when she realized that you are talented enough to work and be a socialite at the same time, but right now you need to go to sleep."

Rory sat up and looked down at Logan, "But…" Logan reached up and dragged her back down.

"No buts, sleep." Logan held Rory tight. After another ten minutes of silence Rory spoke again.

"Logan are you awake?"

"No."

"I don't think I said this to you tonight but I am very proud of you and I'm happy I'm here with you."

"I'm happy too Ace, now go to sleep."

* * *

Rory awoke with a start she was sure it was only a few minutes ago that she looked at the clock to see that it was four a.m. Now Rory found herself bathed in sunlight and very alone in bed.

The days following Rory's front page article had been the busiest in her professional career. She had been focusing on nothing but the fallout from her article, from interviewing disgraced council men to the local business owners who had been the victims of the corruption.

Rory had found the work load exhilarating, but it was also taking its toll on her pregnant body. Her need for sleep had increased and her morning sickness was back. She also found the need to sit up and stand slowly as she had become prone to head spins. Rory had had to bring another writer in to help her manage all of the work. Rory knew Logan was worried about her and the amount of work she was doing but this was such an amazing opportunity for her to establish herself as a writer that he didn't have the hart to tell her to cut back. Rory was realistic she knew her days of working were numbered, at least until after the baby was born.

Rory slowly rolled onto her back felt the sheets on Logan's side of the bed, the sheets were cold. It was unusual for Logan to be out of bed before her on a day when he didn't have to go to work. He would ether sleep in with her or he would sit up in bed working on his laptop until she awoke.

Rory lay there, pondering why the change in route when the smooth sounds of Nat King Cole singing Christmas carols drifted up from down stairs. Rory could hear Logan making his way up the stairs whistle along with the music. Rory smiled, remembering that today was Christmas and suddenly all of her weariness was swept away.

Rory sat up, taking her time to try and avoid a head spin.

Logan opened the door and smiled at her, "Merry Christmas Ace."

"Merry Christmas Logan," Rory watched as Logan came into the room carrying a tray of food. She watched as Logan settled the tray down on her lap and then kissed her on the lips. Logan made his way around the bed and sat down next to her, careful not to bump Rory or the food.

Rory looked down at the food. "Cereal with green and red M & M's you didn't have to do that Logan."

"Not according to your mother."

"What do you mean?"

Logan leant forward and pulled a booklet out from the back pocket of his pants and hands it to Rory. Lorelai had been disappointed when she realized that Logan and Rory would not be coming to Stars Hollow for Christmas and that she could not fly to them to California due to the Dragonfly Inn hosting a family Christmas reunion.

So in her absence she sent the booklet.

Rory read the cover aloud, "Jingle Balls. The Lorelai Gilmore guide to Christmas." Rory flicked through the pages.

"It came with strict instructions that I was to follow this to the letter. It has everything from appropriate breakfast food to movies and music. It also has fun activities such as singe the stockings, toss the marzipan and catch the Purple Kirk. You have to explain the story behind that one Ace."

"The Purple Kirk?" Rory asked. Logan nodded his head in affirmation. "Well this one year Kirk decided he was going to dress as a Holiday character on Christmas day and he picked a sugar plum fairy. So he dyed his skin purple…"

"But sugar plumb fairies aren't purple."

"Kirk didn't know this at the time. He also didn't know they weren't actually plumbs."

"And let me guess he learnt the hard way?"

Rory nodded, "Oh yeah you could say that. He used super glue to attach plumbs all over his body and then he poured sugar all over himself."

"How did he even come up with that idea?"

"Who knows, he's Kirk, no one can comprehend the inner workings of his mind." Rory said like it was the most obvious answer. "So, anyway wearing nothing but plumbs, sugar and runners Kirk started to make his way to Luke's when a flock of birds spotted him, they swoop down and start chasing him, picking the plumbs off. The big problem was they were scratching and pecking at Kirk in the process. And every time they pulled a plumb off, they would pull a little bit of his skin off because of the super glue. So Kirk was running around town, screaming trying to get away from the birds, the birds were chasing him and we were chasing after Kirk trying to get him to come inside away from the birds."

"What happened?"

"We called in the fire department. They hosed Kirk down were their big hose, it chased away the birds and washed the plumbs off. Kirk was purple and scabby for weeks afterwards."

* * *

After Christmas Rory and Logan's life slowed down, Rory had handed full coverage of her corruption story to the other reporter and Logan had started working from home, with only the occasional visit to the office.

Rory was stretched out on the couch, her feet propped up on a pillow and for the first time in what felt like months she could see her toes. Rory was wriggling them admiring the metallic green nail polish her mother had painted on them earlier that day.

Lorelai had flown in the week before, wanting to be there for the birth of her first grandchild and to support Rory through this uncertain time.

Lorelai was currently out, visiting Steven the chef who had once worked at the Independents Inn and who had also been the caterer for Logan's party a few months earlier.

Rory looked up from her toes and at the T.V. just in time to see Morgan Freeman playing Red, walking down the beach of Zihuatanejo, Mexico towards his friend and former inmate Andy Dufresne played by Tim Robbins.

Rory sighed feeling like she could relate to the characters and their forced imprisonment. Rory and Logan had gone to the doctors a week prior and they had been warned that Rory would be going into labor 'any day now.' Sweet, lovable, infuriating Logan had taken the warning very seriously. Rory had not been permitted out of the house alone, she couldn't even go to the letter box without Logan watching her.

So while her home was much nicer than the fictional Shawshank State Prison, it still felt like a prison none the less.

A gilded cage is still a cage.

Rory looked back at her metallic green toe nails and felt a little streak or rebellion come alive inside of her. Not only was she going to leave the house, she was going to go to drive to the supermarket alone and get ice cream.

Rory got up from the couch, much quicker than normal, this morning she had woken up to find herself breathing easier and the baby sitting lower inside of her that it had been the day before.

Rory waddled her way down the hallway and stood in the offices open door way. Logan was on the phone and it sounded important. When Logan had stated working from home more he had a dedicated phone line installed for work. The number was linked up with the office and calls could be transferred to him just like they would if he had been at work. Once Logan became aware of Rory's presents he placed his client on hold.

"What's up Ace?"

"I'm just going down to the store, is there anything you want?" Rory tried to sound casual, hoping Logan would forget he didn't want her going out alone.

"What do you need from the shop?"

"I'm not sure yet."

Logan rubbed the back of his neck, "Rory just tell me."

"Why so you can go and get it?"

"Yes so I can go and get it, is there something wrong with that?"

"Yes there is, I'm not an invalid, Logan. I just want to go to the freezer section and pick out a flavor of ice cream."

"Rory I'm not doing this because I think you're incapable, you heard what the doctor said."

"I remember what the darn doctor said Logan, but I have to get out of this house for a little while, it's driving me nuts not being able to do anything."

Logan took a deep breath, "How about you go put some shoes while I finish up this phone call. I'll drive us to the supermarket, but I'll wait in the car while you go in."

"That's the best deal I'm going to get out of you isn't it?"

Logan nodded his head, "Yep."

"Fine, but I have to pee first and then I am coming back down stairs and if you keep me waiting I will go without you."

"Deal."

Logan watched Rory walk away before taking his client off hold. Logan was winding down the conversation when his call waiting beeped at him, he ended the current call and quickly answered the other.

"Huntzberger here."

"Hi Logan it's Ivy."

Ivy was the office secretary and would often transfer calls to Logan while he was at home. "Ivy I'm about to head out the door is this important?"

"I think so, there is a Lorelai Gilmore on the phone and she says it's important."

Logan was confused as to why Rory's mother would be calling his office number, she had the home and cell phone numbers.

"Sure put her through."

"Hello Lorelai?"

"Yes speaking. Is this a mister Huntzberger?"

Logan frowned in confusion, this didn't sound like Lorelai, the voice sounded more like Rory's only different somehow.

"Yes." Logan answered hesitantly, he wasn't entirely sure who he was speaking to.

"A mister Logan Huntzberger whose fiancé Lorelai Leigh Gilmore is pregnant and due to give birth any day now?"

"Yes."

"Good I have the right person because I am Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, better known as Rory and I have been calling you name for the last five minutes, I need you to come to the en suite bathroom now."

"Ace what's going on?"

"What's going on?" Logan noted that Rory's voice sounded a little hysterical." I'll tell you what's going on, my water broke! I'm having contraction and I can't get up by myself. You didn't hear me shouting you name so I called your cell phone but you wouldn't answer so I called your office and got transferred through to you because I don't know the number for the phone in the office." Rory was starting to hyperventilate.

"Rory are you serious?"

"Logan, my water broke while I was sitting on the toilet, I don't think it gets any more serious than this."

Logan dropped the phone in a panic and ran out of the office and headed for the stairs.

"I'm coming Ace!"

* * *

I know I left you on a cliff hanger, I promise the next chapter is not far away. Who knows maybe if people send me lots of love for this chapter I may be able to deliver the next chapter on Christmas day.

Everyone please be safe of the roads and try to take a little time to enjoy the people you love and like, even if you can't be with them in person, call them, send them a text. Just let them know in some small way that they are special to you and that you are thinking of them. They will appreciate it and feel very loved and as we all know this world of ours could use a little extra love in it.


	23. Chapter 23

They danced.

They knew other people were around them, dancing, laughing and drinking. But for the moment all they could hear was the music as they moved slowly in time with the beat, feeling the rhythm of each other's body movements. Rory rested her head on Logan's shoulder and closed her eyes. She was beyond tired but it was nice to be close to him. It was one of the few moments all night when it had been just them. She felt their son shifted in his sleep, his head rested on her shoulder whilst he was held in his father's arms. His blond curls brushed against her neck and cheek, they were soft, warm and smelt clean and fresh.

"Don't fall asleep on me Ace. I can only dance holding one of you up and if I have to pick between you and Quinn, I'm picking Quinn, he weighs less."

Rory smiled and looked up at her husband. "I'm not falling asleep I'm just enjoying the moment."

"Really because I'm sure I heard you snore." Logan smirked at Rory.

"I was not snoring! The only Huntzberger I know who snores is two and is currently drooling on me."

Logan laughed and reshuffled Quinn in his arms. For the briefest of moments Quinn opened his eyes, revealing the sparkling blue so like his mothers and grandmothers that there was no doubt he was part Gilmore. Quinn settled his head on his father's shoulder and was back asleep in the time it took to draw one breath.

Logan extracted an unused handkerchief from his pocket, Rory turned showing him her back so he could gently wipe the drool from her shoulder, miraculously the drool had missed the lace of her dress.

Rory wore a goddess style ivory dress, the dress flowed full length down her body with a small train in the back. Lace formed the straps of the dress, they swept over her shoulders and meet with a shear panel in the back, where pearl buttons lead down to more lace. The lower lace panel went down the crest of her buttocks and swept around her middle, where instead of the lace circling her entire waist, a gap of four inches was left. Three small strings of pearls that match the buttons in the back bridged the gap, giving the dress a defined waist. Every time Rory moved the dress floated and moved around her in the most ethereal way.

"What do you say we get this little man to bed?"

Rory shook her head, causing a curl to break free from her styled hair, "Just a little longer."

"Come on Ace, look at him, he's fast asleep. Let Luke and Lorelai take him."

"But Logan, I've never spent a night apart from him." Rory gently stroked the platinum blond curls on Quinn's head. Shira insisted Quinn's hair was exactly the same color Logan's had been at the same age and Lorelai said Rory's hair had had the same curl to it when she had been a toddler. "What if he needs me?" Rory moved in close to Logan again, she embrace both her son and husband. Logan whispered in her ear.

"Then Lorelai or Luke will call and we will jump in the car and be with him within ten minutes, five if you let me speed."

Rory pulled her head back a little so she could look Logan in the eye. "I'll let you speed." Rory looked at her sleeping son again, she knew he should be in bed, but her heart ached at the thought of parting from him. "Can I at least go tuck him in?"

"Yeah we can do that Ace. Besides I think your Mom needs to go to bed as well." The happy couple looked across to find Lorelai, asleep with her head on Luke's chest, her feet propped up on another chair, her hands rested on her pregnant stomach.

Lorelai and Luke had married the year before in a simple ceremony at a court house in Hartford in front of just a few witnesses. Not long after the wedding Lorelai had fallen pregnant and much their dismay and delight she was pregnant with twins.

Lorelai took much delight in reminding Rory of the dream she had had many year prior where she was pregnant with Luke's twins, saying the dream was proof of her psychic powers.

"I don't think it's fair us leaving him with Mom. Look at how tired she is."

"Ace you and I both know your Mom has been looking forward to this, I think if you don't let her take Quinn there will be blood."

"I cannot believe how demanding Mom is when she's pregnant." Logan gave his wife a look that clearly said she was a pot calling the kettle black.

Rory knew exactly what the look meant and she felt insulted, "I was not that bad."

"Really? And just how many times did I have to do a midnight run for orange juice? Or have you call me at work or wake me up to help you figure out what word you were trying to think of?"

"Well if you would like to trade the part of passing something the size of a watermelon through something the size of a lemon I would gladly buy all the orange juice you could drink and I would have no issues being a walking, talking thesaurus."

Logan cringed, he loved his son but witnessing his birth was one of the most amazing and grossest things he had ever seen. Logan did not envy Rory at all for what she went through, even if the labor was relatively short at just under two hours. In fact the experience of watching Rory give birth had given Logan a new found respect for every woman who had ever given birth.

"No I'm fine Ace, Tropicana orange juice was your favorite right?"

"Yeah that was my favorite, though I think it's a little soon to be reminding you of the fact."

"Well you did say no more kids after until we got married and..." Logan looks down at his watch, "We have been married for five and a half hours." Logan was amazed he had been able to talk Rory into more children. He thought it would have been harder than it had been, her only condition was that they had to be married before they even started trying for any more children.

"We can't leave the party yet," Rory told Logan, "Finn is still fully clothed and we have so few night's where we don't have to rush back home." Rory and Logan looked around the marque located in the back field of the Dragonfly Inn. Their friends and family we all gathered around them

"So let's get this little man to bed and then we will come back to party for a while." Rory nodded her head in agreement. "You go get your Mom and Luke and I will let a couple of people know what's happening and I'll meet you at the limo in ten minutes."

"Okay." Rory kissed Logan deeply on the lips before moving their son out of his arms. Quinn's black suit stood out against Rory's ivory dress. He watched her carried their sleeping child over to where Luke and Lorelai were. Logan smiled as he watched his family interact, he couldn't imagine being any happier than he was in that moment

Logan felt a hand grip onto his shoulder, "Logan can we talk for a moment."

At the sound of his father's voice, Logan's moment of happiness came crashing to the ground. Things had improved with his family over the last two and a half years, but there was always tension lying under the surface.

Logan always thought it wasn't fair how his father could still make him feel like a fourteen year old who had just crashed his grandfather's Jag. He was a grown man, he was successful, married and a parent in his own right and yet his father still had the ability to make him feel inferior.

"Can it wait?"

"Well it could, but I would really like to do this now." Logan could see the look of determination in his father's eyes. Logan shrugged his shoulders and led his father through the marque and into one of the smaller tents where the bridal party had gotten ready.

Logan had learnt over the years that it was usually quicker to humor his father and have these little talks than to try avoiding them.

Once they we safely away for the partying crowed Mitchum spoke, "You look happy."

"I am Dad, Rory makes me happy."

"Good, that's good. Your mother and I really like her."

Logan tried not to laugh, it was true, his families feelings towards Rory had improved over the years, his grandfather would tolerate her but only after they had had a heated debate in which she had called him a decrepit heartless old man. His mother in general was nice to Rory with only the occasional relapse into bitch mode. Logan knew the two would never really get along as they had nothing in common, Shira could never understand Rory's need to work or how she couldn't be content with being a 'trophy wife.'

"Dad stop beating around the bush."

"Logan I want you to come back to the family business." Logan rolled his eyes and turned away from his father. It was not the first time this particular offer had been made and the conversation never ended well.

"Dad this is meant to be a good day for me, full of happy memories, I don't want to spoil it with us fighting."

Mitchum inwardly flinched, it was sad his son still associated their interactions with conflict. "I'm not planning on us fighting. I'm making you a legitimate job offer."

Logan turned back to his father, "I can't come back, not now at least."

"Why the hell not?"

"Dad, Rory is not like Mom. She will not put up with me working ridiculously long hours, she will not become an office widow. She will leave me, she will take Quinn and go. And all of this," Logan gestured back to the grand wedding that his family had helped pay for, "Means nothing if I don't have my family."

"Your being a little dramatic don't you think?"

"No Dad I don't. I will not sacrifice my life with Rory and out family just to _live up to my obligations._My obligations are first and foremost with them."

"Is there nothing I can say or do to get you to come back?"

"I don't know," Logan took a deep breath, "I suppose if you really want me to come back, you would need to make a legitimate job offer and there would need to be some strict ground rules about my working hours before I even contemplate accepting."

"If you're asking for a guarantee on working nine to five it's not going to happen."

"I don't even work those hours now. What I'm asking for is that I'm not expected to work 18 hours a day, every day, like I was before. No spur of the moment business trips just to yank my chain." Logan could see his father was about to argue the point, or defend his past behavior. "I know emergencies happen and that there will be times when I will have to go out of town, but I want them as planned as possible. No moving me from one office to another, I need a permanent base for my family."

"Anything else?"

"If work starts to interfere with the wellbeing of my family I reserve the right to re-negotiate these rules at any time."

"And if I don't meet these demands?"

"Then things don't change. I'll still be on the west coast, not working for the family business, happy with my family."

Mitchum paused to think for a moment. "Okay so my offer is this, you can pick between New York and Hartford as your home base. I can't guarantee not to ask you to move down the track, but you will have the right to turn down the offer. You have already shown a talent for developing new businesses, so you would be best utilized in our development sector, you can pick between innovations and new investments, or the development of our current holdings. Once a week we would have a meeting in regards to the business as a whole and once a month there would be a board meeting that you would be required to attend. You would be required to travel but most trips would be planned to coincide with the projects you are developing. There may be times when you would have to travel expectantly, particularly when I am unable to attend an appointment or if there was a clash in schedules."

Mitchum paused, his mind trying to make the offer a thorough as possible. "There would also be an increase in the way of family obligation, attending events and regular family dinners." Logan was shocked, not just with the job offer but also with Mitchum's request for more family contact, no doubt that condition had been one his mother had set.

"I need to talk to Rory about this." Logan found the offer tempting. He father was offering him almost everything he had dreamed of. Despite past events and his youthful fears that he would have no say in his future Logan was passionate about the family business. He was proud of what his family had achieved and one day he wanted to be part of it again. These realizations had only come to him after he was no longer involved with the business, his time away in California had been Logan's chance to work out who he was and what he wanted career wise without the pressure of being a Huntzberger.

"Talk to her, the offer won't be taken of the table any time soon."

"Okay I have to go, we're taking Quinn to Lorelai's." Logan was about to walk out of the tent, when his father's hand touched his shoulder, Logan turned around, wondering what was left to say.

Before his father could say anything, Lorelai shouted out, "Logan get your ass out here, you're eating into my grandbaby time."

"I know you said no gifts, but when I saw this your mother and I could not resist getting it for you." Mitchum handed Logan a small silver gift box. "Open it with Rory."

"Thank you." Logan took the gift without a further word, Logan was outside off the tent when his father called out to him, "Son?"

Logan looked back, "Yeah Dad?"

"I'm proud of you, of the man you have become."

Logan smiled, "Thank you. I'd better go before Lorelai comes in and gets me."

Logan walked out of the tent, feeling as happy and carefree as he had before entering it. For the first time in his life, Logan had had a conversation with his father. Huh, he thought to himself, so that's what a healthy parental relationship feels like. No wonder Rory was so happy.

Rory and Logan stood in the dark room that was Rory's old bedroom in her mother's house. They had just tucked their son into bed and were watching him sleep. This would be the first night Quinn had spent out of their care, Logan was handling the impending separation well, but Rory seemed anxious.

"I'm so glad I talked you out of naming our son after food." Logan said in a bid to distract Rory from her building anxiety.

Rory looked at Logan, "Who said I didn't?"

"Rory there is no Quinn brand or anything in the food world."

"I know but that doesn't mean I didn't name him after food."

"Care to explain?"

"Sure I mean it's really obvious and I would have thought you had figured it out by now. But I named him after Eskimo Pies."

"What?" Logan said loudly.

"Shhh," Rory frowned at Logan and then looked back down at Quinn who hadn't even stirred.

"Sorry but how earth is the name Quinn connected to Eskimo Pies?" Logan whispered.

"Well I was eating an Eskimo Pie and it made me think of the song written by Bob Dylan, but I like the Manfred Mann version, "Mighty Quinn" and in the song Quinn was an Eskimo, which brought me right back to thinking about Eskimo Pies."

"So Quinn makes you think of a song makes you think of Eskimos and Eskimos make you think of Eskimo pies?"

"That's right."

"Don't you think it's a bit of a stretch saying that you named our son after food if there is three degrees of separation between the food and the name?"

Rory shook her head, "No."

Logan shook his head in defeat, "Come on Ace, let's get out of here or you will never leave." Logan made his way to the door, he looked back to find Rory still standing over Quinn, stroking his hair.

"You know we can always take him back to the Dragonfly with us." Logan made the offer reluctantly, he had been looking forward to having a night alone with his wife.

"No it's okay. I just... it's just this is the first night we have spent apart. I feel guilty. I feel like I'm breaking the promise we made him."

"Is that what's wrong?" Logan made his way back over to his wife.

"It's big part of it." Rory's voice sounded so sad that he just had to embrace her.

"Ace this doesn't count, he is spending the night with your Mom and Luke. We said no nannies, not no Nana's." Logan looked at Rory he knew if he didn't get her out of there soon he was going to be spending the night on the trundle bed next to his sleeping son.

"Come on Ace, one last kiss and then we have to get back."

Rory reluctantly complied with Logan, she let he lead her out of the room, she said good bye to her mother and Luke, both of whom offered their final reassurances that Quinn would be safe with them and then they made their way back to the limo.

"My Dad offered me a job again." Logan was looking out of the window, watching the pretty town of Stars Hollow pass them by.

"And..."

Logan looked away from the window and at Rory, "I don't know Ace. It was a good deal, I can pick between Hartford and New York. I would basically have the pick of which division I want to work in. Dad even said he would be reasonable on my hours and travel requests."

"So seems like it's the dream job."

"Yeah, but it seems too good to be true. He seems too good to be true."

"Well you know what they say when something seems too good to be true."

Logan sighed, "I know."

"But he has been really good lately."

"I know." Logan looked back out the window.

"You want to take the job don't you?" Logan couldn't bring himself to answer the question out loud. His silence was answer enough for Rory. "If you took the job and found things hadn't really changed you could always leave again."

"So you would support this?"

Rory reached out and held Logan's hand, "You always have my support."

Logan looked down at where their fingers intertwined, "You know one of the conditions is there would be an increase in attending family functions and he also indicated family dinners would be involved."

"It looks like your family stole a leaf out of Emily Gilmores book." Logan gave Rory a blank face, "You know bribed into attending Friday night dinners"

They were silent for a long time. Logan weighing up the pros and cons of his father's job offer. Logan wanted the job, but he wanted his family's happiness more, Logan looked up to find Rory watching him. Not for the first time Logan found himself overwhelmed with love for this woman, he cupped her face in his hand running his thumb over her soft skin, he leant forward kissed her lips.

Rory responded straight away, opening her mouth, welcoming Logan inside of her. With the kiss deepening Logan's hand made its way down Rory's leg and started to work the material of her dress up.

"Logan you cannot be serious." Rory said breathlessly.

"I am." Logan had finally lifted the dress enough that he could touch Rory's leg with the only thing between his hand and her leg was her stocking.

"Logan we are in a limo," Rory wanted to resist Logan but she was finding it very hard.

"Yes we are. Did you know we have never done it in a limo before?"

"Considering I have been present every time we have had sex I am well aware that we have never done it in a limo before and I'm not planning on this being the first time."

"But you promised Ace. You said as soon as we got married we could start trying for another child. Really you should just consider this a reward for me restraining myself for so long."

Logan went in for another kiss but this time Rory pulled back, "So how exactly do you think us having sex in here is going to work? The drive to the Dragonfly takes ten minutes."

"I've already told the driver to take his time getting back to the wedding, so we shouldn't waste this opportunity"

"Logan!" Rory slapped Logan's chest, "He will think we are having sex." Rory whispered scandalously as if the driver could hear them through the privacy screen.

"Well we wouldn't want him to be wrong would we Ace?" Logan moved in and started kissing Rory's neck, his hand reached down and started working her skirt up again. As soon as it reached her knee Logan slipped his hand under the silky fabric. Logan ran his hand over Rory stocking encased leg. The sensation of Logan touching her through the stocking sent shivers up her spine. Her breathing deepened and Rory could feel her center moisten.

Rory could feel her resolve weakening when the limo's speaker crackled to life.

"Mr. Huntzberger we're here."

Logan groaned and pushed the intercom button, "I thought I said to take the long way."

"I'm sorry sir but your father gave me different instructions." The driver was sounding worried.

Logan felt sorry for the driver, it wasn't his fault his father was a grade 'A' manipulator, "It's fine, thank you."

Logan looked back at Rory making sure they were descent, "Well it seems we won't be having limo sex after all."

"Logan it wasn't going to happen anyway."

"Sure it was, I was wearing you down."

"No way mister."

Suddenly the limo door opened, Logan stepped out into the night and reached back for Rory, she stepped out and looked down to make sure her dress wasn't too creased.

"What are we doing here?" Logan asked the driver, looking around at the unexpected surroundings.

Rory looked up and noticed that they were not back at the Dragonfly Inn.

"This was where your father told me to drive you. He said you would understand."

"Logan what's going on?"

"Just a second Ace," Logan patted down his pants and jacket, looking for the box his father had given him, he found it and pulled it out from his breast pocket.

The box was silver with a white ribbon, Logan untied the ribbon and found a folded piece of paper inside, he took the paper out and unfolded it to find his father's hand writing, there was just enough moon light for him to read the note aloud "Our gift to you on your wedding day, a new chapter of your life."

"I don't understand Logan."

Logan looked back in the box and found a set of keys and suddenly the note made perfect sense.

Logan had tried to get these keys for Rory, but he hadn't been able to. Logan wondered how his father had known about these keys. The one thing guaranteed to get his to say yes to his father's offer.

"Logan? Why are we at the Independents Inn?"

He looked up from the keys to find his wife looking at him questioningly. She looked elven like, with her porcelain skin and the moon light making her dress glow in the darkness.

Logan smiled at her, his mind made up about their future, "Welcome home Ace."

* * *

AN: So this is essentially the end – there will be an out take, it shouldn't be too far away. There is no plan for a sequel, I have learnt from past writing mistakes and now know not to try and write beyond what is clearly the end.

I'll be leave the world of Gilmore Girls for the moment and will start posting my long promised Twilight fic.

I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read my writing, you have no idea what it means to someone who is most likely dyslexic and can't spell that something I have written can entertain the masses.

To my past beaters thank you so much for the time and effort you put into this fic, you made me a better writer.

Oh and if you haven't already, I suggest that you watch Bunheads, it's the new show by Amy Sherman-Palladino, it has all the charm of Gilmore Girls and also some very familiar looking faces.


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